Technical Reports Copyright (c) 2013 Grand Valley State University All rights reserved. http://scholarworks.gvsu.edu/bioreports Recent documents in Technical Reports en-us Fri, 25 Jan 2013 22:18:18 PST 3600 Part III: Social Dimensions of Offshore Wind Energy Development http://scholarworks.gvsu.edu/bioreports/10 http://scholarworks.gvsu.edu/bioreports/10 Tue, 12 Apr 2011 06:22:04 PDT The deployment of thousands of wind energy facilities required to meet various renewable energy targets will bring changes to the nation’s landscapes, communities, and economies.

The intent of this integrated assessment project is to comprehensively analyze the benefits and challenges to wind energy development in one particular region of coastal West Michigan, including Oceana, Muskegon, Ottawa and Allegan counties.

By combining science and public participation, our integrated assessment will empower citizens and local governments to make informed decisions about wind energy facilities in their communities. Our project will enhance local capacity to mitigate conflicts surrounding wind energy development, and will help Michigan achieve its ten-percent renewable energy target in a manner that is environmentally, economically, and socially appropriate.

This report is a result of work sponsored by the Michigan Sea Grant College Program (#3001274549) under Federal Grant Number NA05OAR4171045 from National Sea Grant, NOAA, U.S. Department of Commerce, and funds from the State of Michigan.

]]> Erik Nordman Ph.D. et al. Part II: Environmental Dimensions of Offshore Wind Energy Development http://scholarworks.gvsu.edu/bioreports/9 http://scholarworks.gvsu.edu/bioreports/9 Tue, 12 Apr 2011 06:20:40 PDT The deployment of thousands of wind energy facilities required to meet various renewable energy targets will bring changes to the nation’s landscapes, communities, and economies.

The intent of this integrated assessment project is to comprehensively analyze the benefits and challenges to wind energy development in one particular region of coastal West Michigan, including Oceana, Muskegon, Ottawa and Allegan counties.

By combining science and public participation, our integrated assessment will empower citizens and local governments to make informed decisions about wind energy facilities in their communities. Our project will enhance local capacity to mitigate conflicts surrounding wind energy development, and will help Michigan achieve its ten-percent renewable energy target in a manner that is environmentally, economically, and socially appropriate.

This report is a result of work sponsored by the Michigan Sea Grant College Program (#3001274549) under Federal Grant Number NA05OAR4171045 from National Sea Grant, NOAA, U.S. Department of Commerce, and funds from the State of Michigan.

]]> Erik Nordman Ph.D. et al. Wind Power and Human Health: Flicker, Noise, and Air Quality http://scholarworks.gvsu.edu/bioreports/8 http://scholarworks.gvsu.edu/bioreports/8 Tue, 12 Apr 2011 05:53:16 PDT The second of a series of wind energy issue briefs synthesizes the state of the science around wind energy siting issues like flicker and noise, and analyzes how West Michigan communities are addressing these challenges. The issue brief also assesses how wind energy could improve air quality and human health outcomes in West Michigan and the region.

]]> Erik Nordman Part I: Policy Dimensions of Offshore Wind Energy Development http://scholarworks.gvsu.edu/bioreports/7 http://scholarworks.gvsu.edu/bioreports/7 Mon, 11 Apr 2011 12:26:26 PDT The deployment of thousands of wind energy facilities required to meet various renewable energy targets will bring changes to the nation’s landscapes, communities, and economies.

The intent of this integrated assessment project is to comprehensively analyze the benefits and challenges to wind energy development in one particular region of coastal West Michigan, including Oceana, Muskegon, Ottawa and Allegan counties.

By combining science and public participation, our integrated assessment will empower citizens and local governments to make informed decisions about wind energy facilities in their communities. Our project will enhance local capacity to mitigate conflicts surrounding wind energy development, and will help Michigan achieve its ten-percent renewable energy target in a manner that is environmentally, economically, and socially appropriate.

This report is a result of work sponsored by the Michigan Sea Grant College Program (#3001274549) under Federal Grant Number NA05OAR4171045 from National Sea Grant, NOAA, U.S. Department of Commerce, and funds from the State of Michigan.

]]> Erik Nordman Ph.D. et al. Aquatic Ecosystem Response to Storm Water Abatement Measures in the Ravines of the GVSU Allendale Campus: Establishment of Base-line Biological Condition http://scholarworks.gvsu.edu/bioreports/6 http://scholarworks.gvsu.edu/bioreports/6 Thu, 01 Jul 2010 06:42:25 PDT The ravine tributary streams surrounding Grand Valley State Universities Allendale campus represent unique and understudied ecosystems, worthy of significant restoration efforts and of long-lasting protection. They are variously affected by storm water runoff, representing a spectrum from severely impacted to relatively pristine. Quantitative macroinvertebrate samples taken from six streams in late June 2007, indicated that insect diversity was positively correlated to ammonium (p=0.057), while total abundance was negatively correlated to phosphate and chlorophyll-a concentration (n.s.). In addition, phosphate, nitrate, sulfate and iron concentrations were elevated in streams that experience significant storm-water runoff and these streams also tended to have lower macroinvertebrate abundance, diversity and richness. These elevated nutrients, phosphorus in particular, were rapidly taken up by the benthic algae as evidenced by declining nutrients, and increased algal pigment and organic matter concentration from up to down-stream (n.s.). Biological uptake did not translate into increased macroinvertebrate abundance, likely because of the flashy discharge regime. Combination of non EPT (Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, and Trichoptera) metrics indicated that the Shire and Junkyard ravines were in better condition than sites at Isengard and Fangorn—patterns which strongly suggest that extent of storm-water runoff has negatively impacted the macroinvertebrate communities. The fish community assessment indicated that blacknose dace (Rhinichthys atratulus), a species known to prefer cold, clean water, was most abundant in the Shire—the most pristine ravine stream sampled. Comparing length/weight data in the sampled streams to state standards indicated that these dace are not as fit as typically found in other water bodies whereas other taxa, namely the white sucker (Catostomus commersonii) and creek chub (Somotillus atromaculatus) are indistinguishable from state fitness standards. We were successful establishing biological base-line conditions prior to the initiation of a campus wide storm-water abatement program and can use these benchmarks to gage the long-term efficacy of restoration using physicochemical, population, community and ecosystem functional attributes measured in these unique ecosystems.

]]> Eric Snyder et al. Wind Energy Glossary: Technical Terms and Concepts http://scholarworks.gvsu.edu/bioreports/5 http://scholarworks.gvsu.edu/bioreports/5 Tue, 29 Jun 2010 13:11:53 PDT The terms in this glossary are organized into three sections: (1) Electricity Transmission Network; (2) Wind Turbine Components; and (3) Wind Energy Challenges, Issues and Solutions.

]]> Erik Edward Nordman Wind Power West Michigan - Project Overview http://scholarworks.gvsu.edu/bioreports/4 http://scholarworks.gvsu.edu/bioreports/4 Tue, 29 Jun 2010 13:08:56 PDT Wind energy has the potential to be an environmentally sensitive alternative to fossil fuels because wind is renewable and can be used to generate electricity without emitting greenhouse gases and other pollutants. Michigan’s coastal zones possess abundant wind resources. However, wind energy development might present challenges for tourism-dependent lakeshore communities. Poorly sited wind farms may interfere with other uses of the coast, such as recreation, commercial fishing, and nature preservation, and not all communities are prepared to manage these conflicts.

]]> Erik Edward Nordman Wind Energy Deployment Issue Brief - May 2010 http://scholarworks.gvsu.edu/bioreports/3 http://scholarworks.gvsu.edu/bioreports/3 Tue, 29 Jun 2010 13:04:34 PDT Wind energy projects have been proposed all over the world. West Michigan coastal communities, like other communities worldwide, are in the midst of assessing the benefits and challenges of siting wind energy farms. These wind energy projects reflect Michigan’s changing mix of potential energy sources; changes that are requiring the attention of all West Michigan communities.

Michigan’s electricity providers consider wind energy to be the most cost effective, scalable means of meeting the state’s 10 percent renewable energy standard [1]. Wind energy enjoys broad support in general, but specific projects can draw opposition [2]. Understanding the factors that influence wind energy deployment can help citizens, communities, and wind energy companies make informed choices about appropriately developing wind energy in coastal West Michigan.

In this issue brief, we summarize the factors that have influenced wind energy deployment around the world, and apply them to the West Michigan coastal zone. Europe has more extensive experience with wind energy than the United States. Most of the case studies on factors affecting wind energy deployment come from Europe, but a few United States‐based studies are included here.

]]> Erik Edward Nordman Status and Trends Fact Sheet - March 2010 http://scholarworks.gvsu.edu/bioreports/2 http://scholarworks.gvsu.edu/bioreports/2 Tue, 29 Jun 2010 12:54:48 PDT The West Michigan Wind Assessment project team is comprehensively analyzing the benefits and challenges of wind energy development in coastal West Michigan, including Oceana, Muskegon, Ottawa, and Allegan counties. This fact sheet summarizes the findings of their first report, Status and Trends of Wind Energy Development in West Michigan. Additional reports will examine potential impacts from a variety of perspectives and evaluate policy options for minimizing conflicts. For more information or to access the full report, please visit the project web site: www.gvsu.edu/wind.

]]> Erik Edward Nordman Status and Trends Report - November 2009 http://scholarworks.gvsu.edu/bioreports/1 http://scholarworks.gvsu.edu/bioreports/1 Tue, 29 Jun 2010 12:45:41 PDT The deployment of thousands of wind energy facilities required to meet various renewable energy targets will bring changes to the nation’s landscapes, communities, and economies. Identifying and reconciling the trade-offs that inevitably arise from projects such as locating wind energy facilities is a major challenge to successfully meeting renewable energy targets. These complex challenges span scientific disciplines, involve multiple scales, lack well-defined solutions, and involve public values. Integrated assessment has been used effectively to address a number of complex challenges, ranging from climate change to “dead zones” in the Gulf of Mexico. The intent of this integrated assessment project, and this paper in particular, is to comprehensively analyze the challenges to siting on- and offshore wind turbines in one particular region of coastal West Michigan, including Oceana, Muskegon, Ottawa and Allegan counties. By combining science and public participation, our integrated assessment will empower citizens and local governments to make informed decisions about wind energy facilities in their communities. Our project will enhance capacity to find locally appropriate solutions regarding wind energy development, and will help Michigan achieve its ten-percent renewable energy target in a manner that is environmentally, economically, and socially sustainable.

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