Grand Valley State University is preparing to receive, validate, and then launch its off shore wind data buoy in Lake Michigan. Constructed by AXYS Technologies of British Columbia, the 17 by 17 foot data platform will test for wind patterns, wind quality, bat and bird activities, and water parameters.  With power supplied by a small wind turbine, a solar panel, and a fossil fueled generator, the research platform will collect data for GVSU, Michigan State University, and University of Michigan researchers.  U of M has recently received U.S. Department of Energy awards of more than $1 million to simulate the impact of surface water ice on off shore wind turbines and to evaluate the effects of freshwater ice on off shore turbines in the Great Lakes. The dedication of the wind data buoy will take place at the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration’s field station on the Muskegon Channel at 11 AM on October 7.