Mary Jahr, a waitress at the Dutch Kettle, said if she and her husband got windmills on their 160 acres in the western part of the county, "I might be able to quit working."
The support, however, is not unanimous. In the northernmost part of the county, along the shore of Lake Huron, critics have raised objections about the windmills' potential harm to birds and property values. This is a lake resort area, popular in the summertime. It's an eagle nesting site and part of the migratory path of thousands of tundra swans.
"Our township is unique because it is resort and agricultural," said Louis Colletta, the planning commission chairman for Lake Township.
The township last month rejected DTE's request to set up testing towers to measure the speed and consistency of the wind. Colletta said there were many questions to be answered about the wisdom of installing wind turbines, "and we can't go at it too fast."
Russell Lundberg, director of the Huron County Building and Zoning Department, said there was growing acceptance of wind power in the county.
People see it as a way of preserving farmland and the historical heritage of the region and, at the same time, embracing new technology.
"What would I rather have in my backyard -- a subdivision of homes, or a coal-burning power plant?" Lundberg asked.
