Erb Masters Project Featured at World’s Largest Wind Power Conference
Mark Ellis, MBA / MS '11
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Pictured from left to right: Students Theo Ludwick, Laura Bruce, Siobhan Doherty, Dave Cieminis, and Professor Tom Lyon.
More than 13,000 attendees and 1,000 exhibitors flocked to Chicago, IL May 4-7 for the WINDPOWER 2009 Conference and Exposition, the world’s preeminent wind power conference.  Sponsored by the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA), WINDPOWER 2009 included a presentation by four second-year Erb Institute students —Laura Bruce, Dave Cieminis, Siobhan Doherty, and Theo Ludwick—on the results of their Masters Project, entitled “Economic Analysis of Wind and Transmission Compared to Natural Gas”. The presentation is the culmination of the project team’s18-month research effort to translate ongoing transmission planning studies into policy solutions.

The analysis considered the points at which wind and associated additional transmission becomes competitive with natural gas generation. By comparing the two sources and presenting an overview of stakeholder costs and benefits, the team identified regulatory solutions to current transmission roadblocks. Using data gathered from the on-going Joint Coordinated System Plan and other current transmission planning efforts, the project created a simplified model intended for use by policy makers. This model enables the identification of potential inflection points in which remote wind power plus transmission becomes cost competitive with natural gas plants. The team’s research successfully contributed to a greater understanding of current cost factors that will allow for the pursuit of a wind-friendly political agenda.

AWEA’s Policy Director, Rob Gramlich, and Electric Industry Analyst, Michael Goggin, sponsored the project. The team’s faculty advisor was Thomas Lyon, Dow Professor of Sustainable Science, Technology and Commerce and Director of the Erb Institute for Global Sustainable Enterprise at the University of Michigan.
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Erb Recruiting, 2009
Sarah Shapiro, MS / MBA '11

Vice President of Recruiting, Erb Institute Student Advisory Board
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We had an action-packed recruiting season, highlighted by excellent events and high attendance at SNRE Preview Day, Go Blue Rendezvous (GBR), and events throughout the year.  The class of 2011 has almost doubled in size, growing from 26 to 45 Erbers with the addition of 19 mid-year admitted students (4 from SNRE, 16 from Ross).  We are expecting 26 new Erbers in the class of 2012!

Many thanks to everyone in the community who took the time to share their story and knowledge with prospective students.

Watch for announcements about Erb events in major cities across the country this summer to catch up with old friends, and welcome new Erbers to the community.