Great Lakes in race for America’s first offshore wind farm

The State with America's first major offshore wind project could find itself at the heart of a new manufacturing and operations industry

As the sector waits for a decision on Cape Wind this month, the Great Lakes appear to be moving towards a real challenge to the handful of proposals on the East Coast for the title of America’s first offshore wind farm.

The billion-dollar Cape Wind project has gone through various consultations and hearings, and now awaits a decision from one key elected official – US Interior Secretary Ken Salazar. He has promised a decision by the end of this month (April 2010).

But after Rhode Island threw out the proposed power purchase agreement for the relatively small Deepwater demonstration project (just eight turbines compared to Cape Wind’s proposed 130), if Sec. Salazar denies Cape Wind then the Great Lakes could have a shot at hosting the nation’s first offshore turbines.

The Wall Street Journal discusses the interest in offshore wind building around Lake Michigan, with Evanston, Illinois, in particular showing signs of favoring a project off its shores.

“We’re determined to find a way to reduce our carbon footprint,” said Elizabeth Tisdahl, mayor of Evanston, where the city council last week approved a plan to seek information from developers interested in building a wind farm about seven miles offshore.

Cleveland, Ohio, is also now in the chase, with the city now in the early stages of seeking developers for a 20MW demonstration project for Lake Erie. Other states like New York are also looking into offshore wind in Erie.

But, as Crain’s Cleveland Business reports today, it could be two years before developers start dipping their toes in the water, as the Great Lakes Energy Development Task Force considers the same kind of issues that have been facing Cape Wind, Deepwater and other East Coast projects being proposed for Maryland, Delaware and New Jersey waters.

The Great Lakes Task Force faces a great deal of red tape and public concerns if it wants Cleveland to have America’s first offshore wind farm, the Cleveland Business report warns.

The group led by Cuyahoga County that plans to put wind turbines in Lake Erie can’t disturb the birds. Or the fish. Or the boaters. And they can’t overload the electric grid. Or ruin the scenery. Or tick off an Indian tribe. Or destroy the remains of a shipwreck.

The Commonwealth of Virginia has also thrown its hat into the ring in America’s offshore wind race, although it may be a little further behind.

Benefits

Why worry about being the nation’s first offshore wind project?

Well, as developers Deepwater Wind tried to explain when defending their expensive Block Island project in Rhode Island, the first US State to approve an offshore wind farm could find itself hosting a major offshore wind manufacturing industry as well.

Over in Europe, where offshore wind farms have been a reality for a few years now, the ambitions of the government in the UK has seen manufacturers like America’s own Clipper Windpower deciding to set up wind turbine production facilities there.

If the Cape Wind project goes ahead German turbine supplier Siemens has suggested it may locate facilities in Massachusetts. The company is already decided on locating a factory in the UK.

And if a manufacturer can locate somewhere in the US where it can then potentially supply a number of offshore projects in North American waters, that means thousands of manufacturing jobs for US workers.

The pressure on Ken Salazar to make the right decision for the Cape Wind project must be insurmountable, but with the number of potential jobs at stake in this rocky economy, it may be difficult for him to turn the project down.