BEAVER ISLAND — University of Michigan researchers are testing early-stage wave energy technology on Beaver Island that could eventually benefit Michigan more broadly.
The prototypes, floating devices deployed on Lake Michigan, are designed to convert wave motion into electricity, and recently powered a light bulb and charged a cell phone.
Beaver Island, isolated from the mainland grid by an underwater cable, serves as a testing ground because the Great Lakes offer real-world wave conditions that are easier and less costly to access than ocean sites…