Lansing's MIRS News Service reports that the newly-created 11-member Wind Energy Resource Zone Board held its first meeting last week with members wrestling with how to carry out their responsibilities in the short six-month time frame mandated by the Legislature without any funding or staff.

The state's new energy law, Public Act 295, required the Michigan Public Service Commission to create a board to study how economically viable wind energy production is in various parts of the state and how much land is available in those areas where wind energy would work.

A preliminary report is due June 2, with a final report required about four months later after impacted local units of government and electric companies have had an opportunity to review the first draft and submit comments.

MPSC Chief Administrative Officer Gary Kitts told board members the statute creating the board "doesn't say a lot" but said it must "exercise independently of the commission and the report must be the Board's own work product."

That set off a whole discussion over the need to bring in a consultant to attend the meetings and in the end write the report. A motion was approved to request the MPSC to draft an RFP for consultant services. Members said other money may be needed to cover various operating expenses.

Kitts said the Board could avail itself of MPSC staff, Web site and meeting facilities to assist in its work.

A major problem for the Board will be to make recommendations based on data available.

Tom Stanton, manager of the MPSC Renewable Energy Section, told the members they will "have to make the decisions you have to make without having all the data needed to make those decisions."

Stanton gave the Board an update on the Michigan Wind Energy Transmission Study and the ongoing work of the Michigan Planning Consortium Generation Integration Workgroup that is studying all types of generation -- work that has been underway for nearly two years.

Trevor Lauer, DTE vice president, representing the electric utility industry on the Board, suggested they could get a leg up early on by having Michigan State University's Land Policy Institute give a presentation on the available land in Michigan for location of wind energy producers.

"The amount of land excluded for those sites is shocking," Lauer said, adding that if they can get that information quickly it will reduce the amount of time involved looking into geographical areas.

In getting organized, the Board elected David Walters, Zeeland Board of Public Works general manager, representing the electric utility industry, chair; Mary Templeton, former senior vice president, North American OEM Group, vice-chair; and Julie Baldwin, MPSC engineer, representing the Commission, secretary.

The next meeting will be held 9 a.m. Jan. 5 at the MPSC's Lansing offices.

More at www.mirsnews.com.