Push for clean energy may capture the Lake Erie winds

At least two companies are interested in offshore wind development in New York’s Great Lakes waters — BQ Energy, which developed Lackawanna’s Steel Winds, and AWS Truewind.

“I don’t think it’s inevitable, but I think it’s very likely,” said Bruce Bailey, AWS Truewind’s president.

There are significant obstacles and unknowns. Among them:

• Right now, the costs. The cost of windmills in water far exceeds land-based turbines, and would be too high to justify the return for private investors, even with government subsidies aimed at spurring renewable energy development.

• While some of the European offshore wind installations are in icy waters, the freshwater ice sheet on Lake Erie will present special design challenges, according to experts.

• Many environmentalists, while generally supportive of the concept of wind power, want more research into potential impacts.

• And proponents say they aren’t sure how the public will react to the sight of turbines in the lake.

“That’s a question I’ve given a lot of thought to,” said BQ Energy’s Tim Ryan, who says he has been stopped by people who know of his connection to Steel Winds and asked when there might be similar turbines in the lake.

Interest has bloomed to the point where BQ Energy is developing an analysis of the prognosis for Lake Erie wind power.

The study, which will be completed by year’s end, will try to answer more precisely how much wind is available, how reliable it is, the best places to put turbines, how they would be connected to the electricity grids and what regulatory bodies would be involved.

Ryan said there have been some preliminary findings of the study, which is funded by the New York State Energy and Research Development Authority.

“I would say the output in Lake Erie might be 20 percent more than it would be on land,” he said.

The current technology allows for turbines in up to 70 feet of water, he said.

“The New York part of the lake gets pretty deep pretty quickly,” Ryan said. “So there’s a relatively narrow strip along the lake, extending out between three and six to seven miles.”

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