DTE Energy to host wind energy open house

The open house, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday, March 20, at the Pigeon Library, will feature representatives from DTE Energy, Barton-Malow, the construction company, and General Electric, the turbine manufacturer. All will be on hand to meet local residents and provide additional details about the wind energy project’s construction and operation.

The Echo Wind Park in Huron County will be operational by the end of 2013 and add another 110 megawatts (MW) to the DTE Energy’s renewable energy portfolio. The wind park, primarily in Oliver and Chandler townships, will be sited on nearly 16,000 acres and host 70 wind turbines.

DTE Energy’s 110-MW Thumb Wind Park reached commercial operation in December 2012. In addition, DTE Energy has an ownership stake in the Gratiot County Wind Park.

The wind park is a 212.8 MW project featuring 133 1.6-MW GE wind turbines. Sixty-four of the wind turbines are owned by DTE Energy, while 69 turbines are owned by Gratiot Wind LLC, an affiliate of Invenergy Wind LLC. DTE Energy purchases the power from Invenergy’s turbines under a 20-year power purchase agreement.