Mackinaw City Energy Conference Draws 90 Participants
Attendees say they want more solar, wind, and geothermal vendors at future conferences
By Paul Gingras

Mackinaw City's Energy Conference drew 90 representatives from school districts and villages, counties, and cities from northern lower Michigan and the Upper Peninsula Thursday, May 18. Attendees listened to presentations and discussed infrastructure improvements and energy efficiency projects they could implement to combat skyrocketing energy prices.

Mackinaw City makes a good venue for such a conference, said Steve Schnell, community development director for the village, because the municipality already has invested in wind turbines, put in modern lighting systems, and has noted a dramatic decrease in energy costs.

"We learned a lot from our energy efficiency audits and felt like we had a great deal to share," Mr. Schnell said. "We are probably going to have another conference next year."

Sessions covered everything from group purchasing of power to wind and solar energy.

The most popular session was about energy efficient lighting. Inefficient T12 fluorescent lights are quickly becoming outmoded and can be replaced with T8, T5, and Compact Fluorescent Lights (CFLs) and Light-emitting diodes (LED), said Jeff McDonald of Ohio-based Technical Consumer Products.

The second highest-rated session detailed energy audits offered free by the Michigan Department of Energy. These audits provide detailed analysis of energy use for municipal and school buildings, said Kevin Cook, owner of G-Energy Services, a 20-year veteran in the energy field who has conducted more than 4,000 energy audits.

The Energy Star program also drew a great deal of interest. The program is offered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and provides residents and businesses with information on how to choose energy efficient products. Americans operating under Energy Star guidelines "saved enough energy in 2005 alone to avoid greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to those from 23 million cars, and saved $12 billion on their utility bills," reports the agency.

A session on Efficiency for Municipal Utilities and Building Controls was rated almost as highly. It discussed ways in which municipalities can upgrade traffic lights, water system components, street lighting, and heating, ventilating, and air conditioning technologies.

Mr. Schnell said that attendees asked for more solar, wind, and geothermal vendors at future conferences, and want large utility companies to be represented, also. Attendees came from as far

as Nashville, Tennessee, and served to forge connections among municipalities, residents, and companies. Mr. Schnell said he was surprised by a relatively low regional turnout, with representation only from Mackinaw City Public Schools, the Mackinaw City Economic Development Corporation, Northern Michigan University, the Indian River Chamber of Commerce, Chippewa/Luce/Mackinac Community Action Agency, and Mackinaw City village resident Anabel Dwyer.