Great Lakes Green Pages

WE hear lots of talk of offshore wind turbines. While there are productive wind farms in many countries in Europe, we are still in planning stages around the US. Some projects actually got to the drawing board in some regions, but as yet there is no real progress toward getting a real productive wind farm built. Here in the Great lakes Region, several cities and states are scrambling to figure out how to be the first to get a wind farm constructed. Cleveland is included in that list. Of course, there is wildlife to considered, studies to be conducted, and migration patterns to be studied. But we can study til we are blue in the face, when can we get started? Here are some of the things that are slowing us up:

Money. With the latest economic downturn, states and cities around the country are suffering. How can we tell the residents of Cleveland (or any other city) that we can have wind power, but sorry-no cops or firefighters. Cities must remain solvent. The budget MUST be balanced. But I fear that we are playing a game of chicken and egg. If we are building wind turbines, we will create a new industry. This creates jobs, attracts new business and builds the local tax base. But to start this new industry, we have to find new money and in this region tapping into the public by adding taxes is a strain on the citizens that may not be tolerated. The stimulus package provides money for this sort of thing, but unfortunately, I think we are coming to the table too late.

The next issue goes hand in hand with money-lack of product. While we in Ohio are producing many of the parts to make wind turbines of the size necessary to create energy on a regional scale, we are not producing the final assembled product. I spoke with Linda Abraham-Silver (president of the Great Lakes Science Center) once about the wind turbine at the GLSC facility. She admitted that the only way to get that turbine up in any reasonable amount of time, was to purchase a used turbine (from Europe) and have it refurbished and then brought to Cleveland. If only we had developed the industry at that time, we would be sitting pretty now. Instead we face the same issue that haunts solar panel production: lack of product. I spoke with reps from a couple of the photovoltaic (solar) panel manufacturers in the Toledo area. I would prefer to have locally produced panels on our building. The response was that the local facilities could not keep up with production demands from California and other states, so no panels would even be available in Ohio. So we want new jobs and a better economy, we know what industries are booming, and we cannot seem to find a way to tie those two key ingredients together.

An issue that haunts wind production that is not an issue for solar power is wildlife. There is concern that migrating birds and other wildlife will be affected by offshore wind production. While I am a big lover of nature and believe that we must do whatever we can to preserve all natural species, I believe CO2 emissions are doing more to harm natural wildlife all over the planet than wind turbines ever would. There are plenty of studies that say that wind farms are naturally avoided by birds and bats and that they have little or no impact on the local ecosystem. I am sure that the truth lies somewhere in the middle, but I would say that if it were discovered that there was a big enough impact to the local environment to warrant disassembly, then the current shortage of turbines would provide for ample ability to move or sell off the installations. I would also add that we have a huge breakwater off the inner harbor (and I believe another near Edgewater). Why not make use of this breakwater and install some turn=bines on a point of land that is already existing and will due no real further impact to the water wildlife?

Imagine this view of Cleveland with a line of beautiful turbines powering the city.

Lastly, there is the question of aesthetics. I read this great article at Planetsave that discussed this issue. The crux of the article is that to get the public to support wind farm power generation, care must be given to the overall look of the set up to make it pleasing. While I agree that aesthetics of wind farms are important, I really do not see the issue. When I look at the images of existing wind farms, or proposals for new ones, all I see is beauty. I think the turbine downtown is awesome to look at and more would only enhance the city’s skyline. Check out the US Offshore Wind Collaborative website to see what an off shore wind farm could look like. While you are there look at each state to see what is (or more precisely, isn’t) being to done.

Let me put it in perspective who says this is a waste of time and money.  Imagine if the Browns Stadium, The Q and Progressive Field were all powered by the cities own cheap electricity.  How much could we lower the cost of operating sports teams here, and how much more could we then pay our players to attract the top talent?  The better the talent, the better our teams, the more our wins, the more championships in our town, the more tourist dollars to the local economy.  Then imagine how all the best players would be begging to come to Cleveland to play with all the other top players in the league(s).  Now you can see why the Browns ( and Indians, and Cavs) need alternative energy.