Ohio Regulators Approve Nation’s First Freshwater Offshore Wind Project With Conditions

The Ohio Power Siting Board on May 21 issued a certificate allowing Icebreaker Wind Inc. to construct a 20.7- megawatt offshore wind demonstration project in Lake Erie, subject to 33 conditions. The order includes a condition that the turbines remain feathered during nighttime hours from March 1 to November 1, in order to mitigate the impacts on birds and bats. The project developer expressed disappointment, saying that the condition reneges on the agreement reached with the board staff last May and renders the project economically unviable.

Lake Erie Energy Development Corporation (LEEDCo), an ohio-based nonprofit, in collaboration with Fred. Olsen Renewables, a Norwegian company, formed Icebreaker Wind, which is developing the project. Icebreaker is expected to be the first offshore wind project in the state and the first freshwater offshore wind project in the U.S. The six-turbine demonstration wind farm, located 8-10 miles off the shore of Cleveland, will help assess the viability for future larger-scale projects in the Great Lakes region.

The order modifies an agreement signed by several parties, including Icebreaker Wind, Business Network for Offshore Wind, the Sierra Club, Ohio Environmental Council, and board staff.

LEEDCo said that it is extremely surprised by the directive because it has been fully transparent with the board staff that the condition makes the project impracticable, and they ultimately agreed and signed on to the stipulation in May 2019. The developer noted that the U.S. Energy Department ruled that the project will have no significant environmental impact based on an intensive two-year study. Further, Icebreaker has received approvals from the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

The facility will interconnect with the Cleveland Public Power transmission system, and it would be able to power more than 7,000 homes. The project is expected to create over 500 jobs and $85 million economic revenue during construction, as well as an additional economic impact of $168 million over the life of the facility in Northeast Ohio.

Parties have 30 days to ask the board  to reconsider its decision.