(The First) Wind Farm Planned For Lake Erie
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 08.25.07
Lake Erie is on average relatively shallow and has one of the most productive and popular Great Lakes sport fisheries. When it comes to walleye (the best eating freshwater fish that ever existed) and yellow perch, Erie is "hot". So hot, that this Lake Erie based wind farm proposal could make the Cape Wind project proposal look like a playground scuffle, unless the sponsors properly look after any fish and aquatic life issues early on. Because this is the first of many wind farms that will be proposed for Erie, we can be sure.
"A German company that knows how to harness wind power is the best candidate to judge whether Lake Erie breezes can spin off power and jobs, Cuyahoga County commissioners say. Commissioners voted Thursday to select a team led by juwi International to do a yearlong feasibility study of building wind turbines on the lake and establishing a wind-energy research center nearby."
"Commissioners also approved a deal with Case Western Reserve University to run the research center, under Case's newly formed Great Lakes Institute for Energy Innovation...An energy-development task force formed by the commissioners one year ago has been pushing the wind turbine project. It would have an iconic array of up to 10 wind turbines spinning three miles or more off the shore of downtown Cleveland."
"They would be the first wind turbines on fresh water in the world. More importantly, an affiliated research-and-development center would develop turbine design and technology for an industry that's in its early stages, officials say. That could attract wind-energy manufacturers and suppliers to the region, with the potential for hundreds of jobs."
We notice that juwi International already has opened a Cleveland office. A sign of momentum. Via:: Cleveland Plain Dealer Image credit: West end of Lake Erie, with Cleveland on the bottom center of the image and Toronto to the top center (not too far from Lloyd's place). NOAA Coast Watch
Toronto happens to be on the north shore of Lake Ontario (the next Great Lake to the east), but then again, all those big lakes in the west look the same to someone from Philly.
Fred
==== author's response follows ===
Your point is well taken. Post was incompletely conceived and geographically out of focus.
London and Hamilton as well as Toronto (with L. Ontario's western tip intervening) and several other smaller Canadian cities are located north of Lake Erie and likely share a common power grid (for Canadians) as well as access to the inter-connected Great Lake waters. In that the international border between Canada and the US transects the approximate middle of shallow Erie, it is much more than just Cleveland's citizens who could have an interest in the wind power potential of the Lake. I should have stated that explicitly and stated the geography more clearly.
My mistake was from working with a narrow slice of satellite imagery, which is unlabeled, while focused on just the fishery issues. On reflection, the territorial rights to Lake Erie wind power potential are of even greater interest and could become controversial with municipal interests competing for access.
Regrets.
I am from Wisconsin by the way, and worked on Great Lakes research vessels for several years.
not sure what they mean by first wind farm on lake Erie since there is already a wind farm on the lake just south of buffalo, ny that has about 6 turbines that are about 25 stories tall.
I dont know why treehugger missed the actual FIRST wind project on lake erie, strange considering it was all over the national news as a "feel good story"
the company already has an expansion project in the works, and is applying for a permit to build off shore turbines as well....
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19109759/
javascript:popUp('video/2007-0611-MightyWind/2007-0611-MightyWind.html')
http://www.bqenergy.com/steelwinds/news.html
http://www.bqenergy.com/steelwinds/PDFs/NYT%20Steel%20Winds%2005.22.07.pdf
"LACKAWANNA, N.Y. - An "urban" wind farm has sprouted along a stretch of Lake Erie too polluted for much else.
Eight towering turbines slowly spin near old smokestacks and other industrial remnants on a waterfront site where Bethlehem Steel once stood tall with 25,000 employees.
"It's quite a contrast," said Norman Polanski, mayor of this city south of Buffalo, "the old rusting away while the new rises......"