I Want Wind in My Backyard Questions

Some of the questions from Wednesday, Jan 12 Wind In My Backyard Forum are listed below.  A crazy day in the Michigan Legislature prevented us from getting to these today.  We’ll do our best to answer those not addressed at the forum over the next few days:

Questions:

1. What is the real impact of windmills on birds and noise levels to the local neighborhood?
2. How much power from windmills is lost due to inefficiency of transmission cables? What can be done to decrease the level of inefficiency?
3. Where can people in Michigan buy a backyard or rooftop wind turbine?
4. What is the average life expectancy of a turbine?
5. What are the plans for wind development, particularly in West Michigan?
6. What is the likelihood of developing windmills off the cost of Lake Michigan within the next two years?
7. Given the variability of both wind and solar energy, how does one determine which is more cost efficient?
8. One of the reason that wind turbines seem to have a negative image with the general public. How does one rid the general public of this negative images if the vast majority of the community aren’t attending information forums?