The Icebreaker Wind energy project proposed for Lake Erie has received a Section 401 water quality certificate of approval by Ohio’s Environmental Protection Agency, confirming compliance with marine pollution standards, and marking further a step towards the project implementation.
Icebreaker Wind is a wind energy project -the first offshore wind facility in the Great Lakes, the first freshwater wind farm in North America, and only the second offshore wind project in the entire US- to be located eight miles off of the coast of downtown Cleveland.
Lake Erie is an ideal location for offshore wind, with ample available interconnect capacity, large load centers along the coast, growing energy demand due to existing plant retirements, a strong manufacturing base, and limited other sources of renewable energy.
The six-turbine project must earn approvals and/or permits from 14 local, state and federal agencies. Earlier this month the project earned conditional approval from the staff of the Ohio Power Siting Board.
This project represents the kind of innovation that will help earn Greater Cleveland and all of Ohio an international reputation for taking action toward clean energy and reducing the risk of climate change. This project represents the first step toward realizing the substantial potential of making our region a national hub for wind energy.
…said Beth Nagusky, Director of Sustainable Development for the Lake Erie Energy Development Corporation (LEEDCo).
The Ohio EPA has been delegated the authority to administer and enforce the federal Clean Water Act, issuing water quality certificates when it finds that a project will not impair water quality within the State.
Wind farm construction could begin by 2021.