John Brumbaugh

Editor’s Note: This is the fifth article in a five-part series looking at local initiatives to become more environmentally-friendly.

When friends and family call Wayne Todd ‘windy,’ they’re really paying him a compliment.

That’s because the Union Township resident constructed a personal wind turbine over 10 years ago.

“It is my goal in life to be totally self-sufficient, to be in the middle of my 40 acres with no power lines coming in,” Todd said.

With interest in harvesting wind power spreading across the state, personal wind turbine development is now possible locally.

A wind ordinance has recently been adopted to make it possible to construct personal and commercial wind turbines for alternative energy production, said Isabella County Planner and Zoning Administrator Mike Zalewski.

“Wind turbines are starting to come to Michigan,” Zalewski said. “We wanted to have something on the books.”

There are no specific plans at this time for wind turbine construction in Isabella County, but Zalewski predicts that personal wind turbines may start popping up in the future.

“Everyone is looking for alternative energy options right now,” he said.

Todd is still on his way to being totally self-sufficient, but has taken a big step toward sustainable living by using his wind turbine and solar panels to generate electricity.

“The wind is better in the winter time and the sun is stronger in the summer time, so they offset themselves,” he said.

Todd’s alternative energy sources power his barn and three light circuits in the house, including the kitchen, the dinning room, the utility room and the bathrooms.

For those considering personal wind turbines to power their households, good conditions include at least an acre of land, wind speeds of 6 mph or more and flat, treeless land.

Or, a wind turbine that reaches at least 30 feet above the trees, Todd said.

The ordinance for Isabella County has been constructed specifically to fit the needs of the Isabella County area and community, Zalewski said.

“We adopted an ordinance for a wind energy conversion system and made some modifications to address our needs locally,” he said.

Before the ordinance was finalized, Zalewski was able to travel to the thumb area of Michigan to observe a large wind farm in action.

“They’re truly amazing structures,” he said. “It’s almost like they fit.”

With Central Michigan University continuing to look into various alternative energy possibilities, Zalewski believes the university could consider wind energy in the future.

Zalewski said the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe is currently measuring wind speeds using an anemometer to see whether the area will be sufficient for future wind energy harvesting.

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E-mail the author: Kara Scheerhorn