Lake Erie wind turbines proposed

County task force suggests up to 10 turbines on water, research center on land

The Plain Dealer
February 9, 2007
Tom Breckenridge
Plain Dealer Reporter

Wind turbines on Lake Erie could blow the rust off the region and mark it as a world leader in alternative-energy development, officials say.

A Cuyahoga County task force on Thursday proposed the Lake Erie Wind Energy Center, featuring up to 10 wind turbines on the lake and a research center on land spurring new businesses and jobs.

"We can change the entire image, from a rust-belt city to a city of the future," Ronn Richard, head of the Cleveland Foundation, told a crowd of 60 at the Great Lakes Science Center. "This kind of push would help Cleveland reclaim its place as a major economic and cultural force on the world stage."

Cuyahoga County commissioners immediately embraced recommendations from the energy task force, a 23-member body appointed last summer.

Commissioners have pledged to cover one-quarter of the estimated $800,000 needed to find a project manager, study the concept`s feasibility and craft a strategy to deal with daunting financial, environmental and regulatory hurdles.

The Cleveland Foundation will match the county grant. Officials will also seek money from the Fund for Our Economic Future, a regional coalition of foundations, and the Greater Cleveland Partnership, the local chamber of commerce.

There are no wind turbines operating on fresh water anywhere in the world. The plan calls for up to 10 wind turbines on the lake as a demonstration project.

The 10 turbines would stand some 300 feet above the water and crank out up to 20 megawatts of power. That`s enough to light up 6,000 homes.

The turbines would spin about three miles offshore, possibly on land leased by the Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority.

Wind monitoring at Cleveland`s water-intake crib, which lies about 3½ miles offshore, shows sustained winds of 16 mph.

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