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Wind Power Extends the Badger's Sailing Season
By Terri Brown, Director of Marketing and Media Relations, SS Badger
Sep 26, 2012 - 8:15:00 AM
SS Badger loads wind power equipment.
The proliferation of wind power in the Midwest has created economic opportunities for many sectors of our economy including the transportation of wind tower components. Lake Michigan Carferry has recently reached an agreement with a manufacturer, GE, to extend the Badger's sailing season until November 2 to transport an additional 60 tower sections. The SS Badger has transported more than 300 over-sized wind tower loads so far this year.
To encourage passenger travel during the Badger's extended season, LMC will be offering a 40% discount on passenger and vehicle fares from October 15 to Nov 2. According to Pat McCarthy, VP of Shore Operations for Lake Michigan Carferry, "The extension of our sailing season is a great benefit for our customers, our employees and our port cities."
Crews transporting the wind towers find it necessary to spend a day or more in the port cities of Ludington, MI, and Manitowoc, WI, as a result of the over-dimensional permitting process. Ludington's Mayor John Henderson states, "The extension of the Badger's sailing season shows the important role that the Badger plays as the short cut across Lake Michigan. The movement of wind towers between Wisconsin and Michigan is a great example of how important the Badger is to our industrial economy as well as our tourism industry."
"Our company has provided cost effective transportation for hundreds of wind towers over the last few years. We appreciate the business opportunity and feel good about playing a significant role in helping grow renewable energy in our country." McCarthy adds.
"Manitowoc has been involved in the growing green energy industry for several years," said Manitowoc Mayor Justin Nickels." Our own Tower Tech company manufactures wind towers locally and has shipped many of them on the Badger in recent years. Thanks to the S.S. Badger, Tower Tech is able to ship these towers across the lake in an easier, quicker fashion."
Many of these truck loads are 150 feet long and weigh over 150,000 pounds. To view the transportation of these massive wind towers visit the Badger's YouTube channel at http://www.youtube.com/ssbadgerferry
Information pertaining to the special reduced passenger fares are available by visiting www.ssbadger.com or by calling toll free 1-800-841-4243. The Badgers normal departure times will be continued. - (weather permitting)
Departing from Ludington, MI at 9:00am (ET) arriving in Manitowoc, WI 12:00 noon (CT)
Departing from Manitowoc, WI at 2:00pm (CT) arriving in Ludington, MI 7:00 pm (ET)
To date, the Badger has moved over 1000 commercial vehicles in 2012, alleviating regional roadways of more than 80,000,000 lbs. of truck traffic.
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