New MSU Study Suggests Turning Brown to Green

The combination of Michigan’s industrial history and the state’s location in the middle of the Great Lakes appears to be a good recipe for renewable energy development.

According to a study released through the Michigan State University (MSU) Land Policy Institute, using all of the existing brownfields in Michigan as renewable energy sites with solar panels and wind turbines could capture an estimated 5100 megawatts – enough energy to power about half the homes in Michigan.

Brownfields are parcels of land that were once used for industrial or commercial purposes – for instance, land that once housed a dry cleaners, a manufacturing site or a gas station. While Michigan offers incentives to reuse the land, redevelopment can be difficult because of a wide range of real or suspected environmental contaminants.

The study also looked at the possible impact that creating the wind/solar fields could have on the state. The conclusion: more than $15 billion in investment and the creation of more than 17,500 construction and long-term jobs.

A research team from Eastern Michigan University (EMU), with support from Michigan Sea Grant, is also continuing its integrated assessment of coastal brownfield redevelopment in Michigan to learn what approaches have led to successful redevelopment. The research team is exploring how these strategies can be incorporated into future redevelopment efforts.

The aim of research and reports like the MSU study is to create a user-friendly system that will enable policy makers, legislators, business owners and the public to more effectively understand and accomplish the goals of brownfield redevelopment and renewable energy initiatives.

The MSU report is titled Potential Application of Renewable Energy on Brownfield Sites: A Case Study of Michigan. See: Report

For more information on brownfields, visit:

• Brownfields Center
• Michigan Department of Environmental Quality

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