WKSU Stories

Lake Erie Wind Farm Gets Support from Lakewood City Council

Ideastream Public Media | By Phil DeOliveira

Published April 20, 2017 at 8:57 PM EDT

The Icebreaker project is backed by LEEDCo, a group of county commissioners, philanthropists, and sustainability experts promoting wind turbine construction in Lake Erie.

Lakewood City Council is supporting the proposed Icebreaker wind farm in Lake Erie, which would be about 7 miles offshore from Lakewood.

Council passed a resolution that cites Ohio’s over-dependence on fossil fuels and a potential economic boost for the city.

Opponents of the project are concerned about maintenance, volatile lake conditions and the environmental impact on the lake’s ecosystem and wildlife. Councilman Tom Bullock says those issues are being weighed in the permitting process.

“You can do any energy facility project correctly or incorrectly. And if you do it incorrectly, there are going to be negative impacts on all kinds of things, including the environment and wildlife.”

The council’s resolution isn’t required for the project to go forward. The Icebreaker is waiting for permit approval from the U.S. Department of Energy, the U.S. Coast Guard and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.