GLIN==> Offshore Siting Principles and Guidelines for Wind Development on the Great Lakes Released

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 3, 2009

Contact:  John Hummer (734) 971-9135
                    Terry Yonker (716) 745-9129

*Offshore Siting Principles and Guidelines for Wind Development on the 
Great Lakes Released*
 
The Great Lakes Wind Collaborative has released /Offshore Siting 
Principles and Guidelines for Wind Development on the Great Lakes/, now 
available at http://www.glc.org/energy/wind/publications.html. The 
document was a collaborative effort by members of the group's Offshore 
Wind Workgroup and other stakeholders.
 
"The guidelines are a timely response to what the Collaborative sees as 
a wave of interest in offshore wind development that is sweeping across 
the Great Lakes. Offshore wind must be environmentally and economically 
sustainable and reduce the carbon footprint of the binational Great 
Lakes region," said Terry Yonker, U.S. Co-chair of the Collaborative's 
Steering Committee.
 
The document provides guidance to state regulators, as well as 
developers, about potential environmental and other regulatory 
considerations that might be of concern with an offshore wind project. 
Its intent is to promote more informed decision-making and ensure that 
offshore wind development is being done in an environmentally-sensitive 
manner.
 
"Offshore wind development in the Great Lakes region is a new and 
exciting undertaking, but we have to get it right. The siting principles 
and guidelines are an important first step", said Joyce McLean of 
Toronto Hydro and Canadian Co-chair of the Collaborative's Steering 
Committee.
 
"The Collaborative is working to ensure that as the wind industry 
develops, it not only provides clean energy and green collar jobs, but 
also preserves the diverse Great Lakes ecosystem for future 
generations," said Tony Logan, Chief Legal Counsel and Wind Policy 
Coordinator with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. Logan is also 
a member of the Collaborative's Advisory Committee.
 
The document identifies environmental concerns, such as lake floor 
habitat, fisheries, and migratory birds, among others, and suggests ways 
they can be addressed. Hence, the document provides regulatory agencies 
the groundwork to develop individual state and provincial policies and 
best practices.
 
"The Offshore Siting Principles and Guidelines report is a valuable 
resource for industry, policy makers and stakeholders engaged in 
considering offshore windpower development opportunities throughout the 
Great Lakes Basin," said Kevin Edwards of the Ontario Ministry of 
Natural Resources and one of the Collaborative's Advisory Committee 
co-chairs. "For Ontario, it is an important reference tool that will 
complement other strategic resources as the province moves to implement 
the new Green Energy Act."
 
The Great Lakes Wind Collaborative is a multi-sector coalition of wind 
energy stakeholders working to facilitate the sustainable development of 
wind power in the binational Great Lakes region. For more information on 
the Collaborative, visit http://www.glc.org/energy/wind/.
 
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