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Wind Energy in the Great Lakes Region What's New | Overview | General Resources | Related Resources Energy: Biomass | Efficiency | Renewable | Wind 
What's New Battle lines drawn in lake turbine issue The Windsor Star (3/12) A Leamington-based company that is proposing to put 700 wind turbines in lakes Erie and St. Clair has hired a high-profile Michigan public relations strategist and former spokesman for the mayor of Detroit. Tapping offshore wind The Environment Report (3/11) Offshore wind farms have the potential to create jobs in struggling states, but uncertainty in the permitting process continues to slow projects down. New York Power Authority hears message, won't locate wind turbines in Lake Ontario near Oswego, Jefferson counties The Syracuse Post-Standard (3/11) It appears no wind turbines will be built in Lake Ontario off Oswego and Jefferson counties. New York Power Authority President Richard M. Kessel said if Oswego and Jefferson counties don’t want the project, it won’t be built there. Offshore wind meeting in Muskegon Ludington Daily News (3/11) Developers who are planning an offshore wind farm in Lake Michigan near Mason and Oceana counties will meet privately with Muskegon-area officials Monday to discuss possibilities along that area of the lakeshore. County rejects offshore turbines Watertown Daily Times (3/10) Jefferson County legislators voted 14-0 against offshore wind power development in Lake Ontario after officials from New York Power Authority argued the benefits of having a development in the area. United front urged over wind farms The Windsor Star (3/9) Area municipalities and the Essex Region Conservation Authority should develop a regional response to the 700 offshore turbines proposed for lakes Erie and St. Clair, Kingsville council agreed Monday.
Overview There are numerous opportunities to be had from the development of both onshore and offshore wind energy. In the Great Lakes region, planning and construction are moving forward at a breakneck speed. The eight-state Great Lakes region has a tremendous capacity for new wind development, especially offshore. According to estimates provided in the 20% Wind Energy by 2030 report, the Great Lakes states would contribute 61,288 megawatts toward achieving the 20 percent scenario. A primary benefit of using wind-generated electricity is its role in reducing the levels of carbon dioxide (CO2) emitted into the atmosphere. Wind-generated electricity is produced without emitting CO2, the greenhouse gas (GHG) that is the major cause of global climate change. In addition, wind energy does not require the level of water resources consumed by many other kinds of power generation. As a result, it may offer communities in water-stressed areas the option of economically meeting growing energy needs without increasing demands on valuable water resources. While we generally do not think of the Great Lakes region as being water stressed, lake levels are dropping all around the basin and the impacts of climate change to those levels are still unknown. Wind energy can also provide targeted energy production to serve critical local water system needs such as irrigation and municipal systems. In addition, wind energy can bring much-needed economic development to our region.
General Resources Great Lakes Regional Wind Energy Institute The Great Lakes Wind Energy Institute is a regional collaboration that provides the tools for Wind Working Groups to better equip themselves with the knowledge and skills to promote wind energy within their states. Great Lakes Wind Collaborative The Great Lakes Wind Collaborative (GLWC) is a group established to build consensus and identify and address issues affecting the planning, development, and operation of wind power facilities in the Great Lakes region. Habitat Conservation: Wind Power U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service: Ecological Services The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service stands ready to work with industry and other governmental agencies and stakeholders to facilitate wind energy project design, siting, and operation to avoid or minimize adverse environmental impacts. Wind Power and Wildlife Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies State fish and wildlife agencies are involved in different aspects of wind power development and to different degrees (e.g., consultation with developers, review of permits, cooperation with other states agencies and utility regulators).
Related Resources GLIN: Agencies and Organizations, Energy GLIN: Renewable Energy in the Great Lakes Region | |
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