Power Company

I can not thank Cherryland Electric Cooperative (CEC) enough for making my first wind turbine install so easy. They came out today to install the new bi-directional meter. This meter registers how much power is generated from the wind turbine, how much CEC power is used, and how much wind turbine excess power is put back onto the grid for general use. This meter allows the customer to get a credit for the extra power they generate but do not use. This job is now complete!

My next wind turbine will be in the Michigan thumb area but the power company (Thumb Electric Cooperative (TEC)). It seems they do want anyone to install wind turbines in their area. Kind of defeats what our Governor wants us to do. She has put out the call for individuals to invest in alternative energy businesses, but it seems that every where you turn there is someone trying to block that effort.

For example TEC has set up their net-metering agreement so that the average residential customer can not have any alternative energy source in their yard. TEC is telling customers that they have to get a special insurance policy to allow the electric coop to be added to that policy. If they had not asked for this type of policy, then your regular residential home owner policy would be sufficient. Instead the customer would have to buy a commercial liability policy which costs any where from $2000 - $3000 a year. That single requirement just added 25% or more to the cost a new wind turbine. It is tough to get people to buy a wind turbine or any other type of system with that type of requirement. In turn this will cause people to be held over the barrel by the electric company and people no longer will be working, because of the loss of potential sales. Defeats what the Governor wants us to do to help bring our state of this recession. Something to think about. Contact your local state representative and demand that the state get there net-metering agreement to a reasonable level in order that it not be so difficult for a residential customer to buy that wind turbine or other alternative energy source.