Jan 19 2011
Lake Erie Energy Development Corporation (LEEDCo), a not for profit company located in Ohio, leading the efforts of Northeast Ohio and Freshwater Wind, a private wind projects developing company, have jointly signed an accord with the State of Ohio to avail a specified amount of land in Lake Erie to develop and install an offshore wind power project in the lake.
The signed lease accord, which has been completed after an elaborate application procedure with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR), provides the companies with an exclusive right for a period of four years to make an application for the offshore land rights and to negotiate the period of lease. The proposed land site lies around seven miles away from the Cleveland Browns Stadium. LEEDCo and Freshwater Wind anticipate erecting five offshore wind turbines with a power production capability of 20 MW at the lake site in the last part of the year 2012 and complete it with 1,000 MW power generation capability by 2020 to provide employment opportunities to thousands of local people.
Dr. Wagner, President of LEEDCo, expressed his happiness about the lease option offered by the state and said that the option makes the offshore wind project achievable and shows the inclination of the Ohio state in developing offshore wind projects that will usher thousands of local jobs. He clarified that the mid-sized wind project while reducing the environmental pollution also will allow the company to learn the construction of an offshore wind project cost-effectively.
Source: http://www.leedco.org/