Wind power on Lake Erie would be a first
Many thanks to reader Perry Ruth for sending along this story about a great first for the Great Lakes.
The largest fresh water system in the world could soon see its very first wind turbine spinning. An Ohio taskforce of policymakers, businesses, and legal experts are proposing massive wind turbines that could power tens of thousands of homes (up to 20 megawatts) and spur economic development, research, and jobs.
A feasibility test will start with just four to ten turbines three miles out. They may be the first freshwater turbines in the world and the first offshore turbines in the United States.
The cost, as always, gives some pause. Tens of million of dollars and public subsidies may be needed to get the project off the ground. Shipping lanes and weather concerns like waves and ice will also have to be addressed. But this also represents a significant opportunity for the area, as Richard Steubi of the Cleveland Foundation told the Cleveland Plain Dealer, the wind farm could make the region a hub for off-shore wind power:
‘We could show industries worldwide we're serious about off-shore’ ventures.
January 23rd, 2007 at 5:52 pm
That area is farmland, where it is relatively easy to put in turbines, rather than in the midst of a large metropolis like Cleveland. Still, it's good to see more development and investigation taking place.