Wind turbines offshore – yes, they want to put them offshore in the lake, too. Won’t those look great? Watch the sun slowly set behind the spinning blades, kinda spoils the moment, don’t you think?
For those of you living closer to the lake, you may be surprised to learn our representatives want to build industrial, utility scale, wind turbine installations in Lake Erie. Perhaps you’ve heard of plans to build offshore near Cleveland, Ohio, there’s been some coverage in the news, but look closer to home, they want to put them offshore of Erie County, Pennsylvania, too!
Curt Sonney wants turbines in Lake Erie
For those of us in North East, you might also be surprised to learn that Curt Sonney, our PA state representative, was the prime sponsor of House Bill 568:
An Act authorizing the Department of General Services to lease submerged lands in excess of 25 acres within Erie County, for the assessment, development, construction and operation of utility scale offshore wind, solar or kinetic energy generation facilities
That “in excess of 25 acres” may not seem too big, until you read this:
The Department of General Services, acting on behalf of the Commonwealth, may lease submerged lands equal to or greater than 25 acres, but not in excess of 10,000 contiguous acres, within the bed of Lake Erie in Erie County
So the bill means leasing somewhere between 25 and 10,000 acres. That’s quite the little swath of Lake Erie.
What was he thinking?
Did Curt Sonney ask anyone what they thought of putting industrial wind turbines in the lake? Did he just get swept up in the “green energy” hype and put a bill together to show he’s part of the team? Do all of you who enjoy the beautiful sunsets along the beach think they would be enhanced by seeing the sun set behind the spinning blades of huge wind turbines? Sure would change the view, don’t you think?
Pay attention, wind developers want turbines everywhere
Offshore wind map of Erie County – better than onshore, so they want to fill up the lake with wind turbines, too. (click to enlarge)
Sometimes you wish your representatives would simply do nothing instead of coming up with ideas like this. If you have questions or concerns about industrial wind turbines offshore in Lake Erie, get in touch with Curt Sonney and let him know.
Thomas Marks says
There are so many negatives for industrial scale wind turbines in Lake Erie or any where for that matter it is ludicrous to think anyone would be that stupid to suggest building them in our lake. Let’s start with all the migrating birds (ducks, gulls, loons, and even eagles and osprey) that will have to navigate through this industrial mine field, there will be many casualties. Consider the construction, while only temporary the pile-drivers pounding in the monopoles will certainly disrupt the fish and fish migrations. Don’t be fooled by the developers who claim the installation of wind turbines in our lake will improve the fishing, they have no proof. Wind turbines have not been installed in any of our Great Lakes or in any North American lake. The disruption of the lake sediment and bottom to run cables will bring buried toxic chemicals back into the food chain… our chemical pollution legacy of our “pre-clean waters act” (1972) past. The installation of wind turbines off-shore is expensive, you the rate payer and taxpayer will pay the bill. As a former engineer I know that if I created a machine or process that was productive only about 25% of the time I would have been fired. What kind of return on an investment would you expect from a machine that is productive only 25% of the time. Don’t be fooled by the claims of the developers there is plenty of data from industrial wind projects around the world… they produce power on average only 25% of the time. All industrial scale wind power projects require back up generation and it is usually coal or natural gas power plants both generate CO2 emissions and the back up has to run continuously because you do not know when it will be needed. There is no reduction in CO2 with wind energy. All businesses get subsidies in the form of “tax write offs”… Wind Power plants get all the same tax benefits that all other businesses get including coal and natural gas, however wind energy gets special tax incentives and subsidies. When a country like the US is $17 Trillion in debt and the bill has to be paid for by our children and grandchildren for an investment with no return it is almost criminal to subsidize this lunacy. It is as foolish as bankrupt Detroit building a new hockey arena with with tax dollars they don’t have.
New York had similar plans … Great Lakes Offshore Wind Project, (GLOW) it was dropped because it was economically unsustainable. The high cost for the project, the high cost of the power would all contribute to the loss of jobs and business for New York State. The high cost of the power is especially burdensome for people with low or fixed incomes. Seniors would be especially hurt.
I hope common sense prevails in Pennsylvania and this lunatic idea is dropped. For the citizens who understand the negatives, I suggest that you get together, identify the politicians who are dumb enough to support this project and FIRE THEM. You are their boss get rid of them they lack judgement and common sense they can’t be trusted. Don’t be afraid to tell them they are going to be replaced.
Thomas Marks, Exec. Dir
Great Lakes Wind Truth