As Cape Cod is the first to announce the approval of an offshore wind farm, it seems New York is winning the race for wind power. While this project is on the forefront of the news circuit, the Great Lakes region is not down and out just yet. Plans are still moving forward for wind farms on Lake Erie and Lake Michigan. While Cape Cod may be getting all the press, Ohio is still not out. Recently 3 plans for wind farms in Ohio were approved and should begin construction soon. These all seem to be centered around northwest Ohio-a region that is poised to become the green energy capital of the nation. With the addition of numerous solar panel manufacturers and now wind turbines, Ohio is getting plenty of mileage out of the race for green energy. It is a good thing too, as this part of the country is highly dependent on coal for the production of its electricity. New power sources could spur the beginnings of the Smart Grid to replace the aging infrastructure in the region. Moreover, adding more wind turbines could be the spawning of new industry in manufacturing as Ohio’s unemployed may be called upon to make parts needed for wind energy production.
Wind energy is not without controversy. Many wildlife conservationists do not like the site, sound or impact of wind turbines on the landscape. While these concerns are not without merit, I think the impact of burning fossil fuels is of much greater concern. Additionally, I find wind turbines beautiful. The slowly moving giant blades are amazing. While the concerns over birds are important, studies have proven that there is very little impact on bird migration or other wildlife (like bats) as animals tend to shift movements easily when encountering these kinds of obstacles. The advantage of having the first off shore project somewhere else, is that Ohioans can rest assured that data collected from the Cape Cod project can only make our own wind projects better. We will see wind power on the lakes in one form or another and letting someone else go first could mean that we have more time to prepare. The turbines we put on the lake, may have an economic impact on the local economy as well as the electricity that we create.
As I try to keep up on what is going on in the production of wind power, I joined a new online community. It is called Wind Turbines.net. It seeks to connect all sorts of people who are involved in wind energy as well as those who are simply interested in learning more. They hope to be the largest social networking website where the wind turbine profession come together to communicate, collaborate and network for career advancement. Want to know more about what jobs there are in wind energy? How about what news is going on in this filed? What are hirers looking for and how do you find training? Can wind energy impact you, your community, your state? This site strives to bring together all sorts of people to find answers to these and many other questions surrounding wind energy production. There’s a directory section, a community section and even a wiki to find answers to your questions. I have been peeking and playing a little and I am excited aobut the possibilites here. If wind energy is something that you find compelling, then drop by Wind Turbines.net and join. It is a free community.
Our answers could be blowing in the wind…..
