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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 Questions swirl over Ontario offshore wind power generation projects Daily Commercial News (1/26) Recent news reports about the Windstream Wolfe Island Shoals offshore wind project in Lake Ontario have spurred concerns from the province’s Progressive Conservative energy critic. Should we lift the moratorium on offshore wind in the Great Lakes? The Energy Collective (1/26) For a year now there has been a moratorium on the development of offshore wind projects in the Great Lakes. The Ontario government issued the ban because it said more study was needed to make sure the projects can be developed safety and responsibly, even though such studies were supposedly already done when the previous moratorium was lifted in January 2008. Research project to track bird migration hot spots on Superior shore The Sault Star (1/26) An Algoma University professor plans to plant microphones along the shore of Lake Superior next fall to help find migratory hot spots that could be affected by wind energy development. Ontario farm group calls for halt to wind power development The Globe and Mail (1/20) Ontario’s largest farm organization has called for a moratorium on wind power development in the province, saying there are too many unanswered questions about its value, and that the debate over turbines is polarizing rural communities. Builder hopes to blow winds of change, lift ban on wind turbines The Hamilton Spectator (1/19) The province is in no rush to approve a massive wind energy project that holds the promise of hundreds of jobs for Hamilton companies. As many as 1,900 jobs coming to Hamilton The Hamilton Spectator (1/18) Hamilton companies have landed the major contracts in a $1.5-billion offshore wind energy project.
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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