We now have more than a decade of experience with clean energy development, solar and wind, in Michigan. That means we can make an informed comparison between communities that have embraced clean energy development and those that have not.

Two communities that immediately come to mind are Lenawee County, where a proposed wind development was rejected a dozen years ago, and Gratiot County, which enthusiastically welcomed that project, and several more since. 

In Gratiot County, wind turbines have been integrated into the community, and become an important part of the fabric, and funding, of critical services. 

School Superintendent Jan Amsterburg told me that revenue from wind turbines has allowed local districts to “keep programs whole, and has been a lot of benefit to our local communities.”

Amsterburg supplied documentation showing wind revenues for the district’s operations and sinking fund of $711,145, for debt service $776,790, and for special education and vocational education, $1,373,575!  Gratiot has added additional turbines in the meantime, so that funding continues.

Jerry Rohde, supervisor and assessor for Wheeler Township, told me that his township alone was receiving an additional $60,000 annually for roads, and $150,000 for fire and rescue.

Wheeler fire chief Jeff Westall agreed that funding from wind energy allowed the department to go from “hand-me-down” equipment, which sometimes did not perform in emergencies, to new high-quality equipment. He added that in a decade, his department has not had to respond to any incidents related to the turbines.

Breckenridge village manager Jeff Ostrander said that another benefit has been additional sheriff’s patrols on county roads.  Pine River Township supervisor Kevin Beeson said, “I can remember, after 2 o’clock in the morning, there was no deputy. You hit a deer, have an accident, maybe a State Police patrol could come from another community, but there wasn’t any sheriff patrol on the road. That’s all changed today, and that’s primarily because of tax base” from wind energy.

Ostrander added that before the wind, in 2009, 26% of Breckenridge homes were empty. Now, he said, “we have a housing shortages. Houses are selling in a matter of hours, for more than asking price.” 

Ostrander said that as a lifelong resident, and someone who has been a builder in the area, he has never seen a competitive housing market like today.

Jim McBryde of Middle Michigan Development Corporation told me that wind developers also upgraded local electricity infrastructure, increasing reliability for local homes and businesses.

Gratiot County has been able to add more jobs for teachers, law enforcement, and roads — while attracting new business development in an Industrial park.

Meanwhile, Lenawee County has seen no significant new tax base added, as homeowners are asked to bear a larger and larger share of the cost of local government.

A recent Blissfield school millage was passed, but only after it was cut in half from the original request. Communities like Deerfield are lacking adequate police protection, but the county has no funds to increase road patrols and must ask individual communities to raise additional funds if they want to increase patrols. Fire departments are operating in old, obsolete buildings but have no money to relocate, or to buy new, increasingly expensive equipment — so community health, safety, and welfare are steadily degraded.

All across the Midwest, small communities have seen steady erosion of their tax bases as manufacturing jobs have left, with nothing to replace them. Clean energy offers a new tax base, with very little in the way of demands.

Clean energy installations make no new demands on services, like police, fire, or schools. In the words of Pine River Township’s Kevin Beeson, “they just sit there and provide a better quality of life.”

Peter Sinclair is a videographer and environmental activist from Midland.