Green Energy Ohio, a non-profit, clean energy advocacy organization based in Columbus and Bowling Green State University, recently concluded a series of public meetings to offer residents in northern Ohio the opportunity to weigh in on wind.

The meetings, held in Lucas, Erie, Lorain, Ottawa, and Sandusky counties, were part of a project GEO is conducting in conjunction with the Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority for the Northwest Ohio Coastal Wind Initiative. The initiative was begun to evaluate the western basin of Lake Erie and its potential for wind turbine development.

“Wind energy, if planned properly, is something that is being harnessed in Ohio,” said Kemp Jaycox, GEO’s wind energy program manager. “It is up to all of us to investigate it fully and determine where, when, and how to properly take advantage of its potential.”

The meetings, he said, were to provide a forum to exchange ideas and engage more people in a discussion about wind energy in northern Ohio.

In October of last year, Oregon city officials agreed to join the wind initiative as a site sponsor. The city and GEO agreed to sponsor a study that will monitor wind speeds using equipment mounted to a broadcast tower on York Street.

As a sponsor, the city entered into an agreement with the tower owner for space on the tower for monitoring equipment. The city is providing funding to offset the cost of installation of the equipment and to retrieve data weekly during the study.

While city council discussed partnering with the initiative, some members raised concerns about the effect wind turbines have on migratory birds and other wildlife.

According to GEO, an Avian Risk Assessment report has since been completed with assistance by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Ohio Department of Natural Resources. It identifies several exclusion and buffer zone criteria that have been incorporated into a site screening study.

Elmore study

In an effort to embrace alternative energy systems, the Village of Elmore has embarked on “a handful of projects” in an ongoing effort to embrace alternative energy systems, says Mayor Lowell Krumnow.

The village has received the final quarterly results of data generated by a meteorological tower, erected in late 2006 on village-owned property along Dischinger Road. The tower was fitted with equipment to test and record wind speed and direction, and temperature at the site. A year’s worth of data is usually needed before a wind turbine project is considered for financing by lenders, according to Green Energy Ohio.

Before proceeding with the construction of a wind turbine, the village will need to seek grant funding.

“We have the study done. Now the bottom line is we have to get in line to apply for grants. It’s too costly for us to do ourselves,” Mayor Krumnow said last month. “But with the results of the wind study out there it does give better detail for the (wind) mapping of Ohio and this region. We’re averaging 12.5 miles an hour and they consider that viable. They did give us a review of two types of wind turbines for the area and what performance we could expect from them. The technology for turbines and the equipment is always being improved.”

The mayor said a proposed project for a Dischinger Road subdivision is also drawing the interest of home builders.

The village has been making plans to develop the residentially-zoned property as an Energy Star Housing development.

“We’re still looking at the language for the property as a green housing development,” Mayor Krumnow said. “We’re reviewing the language for possibly separate zoning to address the energy systems, or possibly tie it to property deed restrictions. We have interested developers willing to follow those guidelines and accept those requirements. Of course, the housing market is down right now. But I’d rather be at the bottom of the housing market and get through all the paperwork for the development first.”

The mayor said developers interested in the Dischinger Road property are even open to the idea of using small wind turbines to help provide electrical service for the subdivision.

Energy Star is a joint program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy.

Comments (0)

Subscribe to this comment's feed