Muskegon Co. approves wind farm lease | News

MUSKEGON COUNTY, Mich. (WZZM)- A wind farm project in Muskegon County is getting the green light. Thursday County Commissioners approved a three year lease with Gamesa Energy to build a wind farm at the county's wastewater site.

Muskegon Wind LLC would sit on 11,000 acres of county land. If all goes well, the wind farm could be up and running in about two and a half years.

Bill Smeaton, the project manager with Gamesa Energy said, "That would be our goal. I'll say end of 2014. And that could change. It probably isn't going to get any sooner, could get a little later. It really depends on what we discover as we study the site."

Gamesa Energy must finish at least one more year of research. The company's lease will generate about $50,000 a year for the county and significantly more if the farm is built.