Gov. Ted Strickland used his last official act in office to sign an option-to-lease contract between the state and Lake Erie
Energy Development Company (LEEDCo) to put a freshwater wind farm in Lake Erie.
The contract gives LEEDCo and Freshwater Wind I, LLC, exclusive rights to pursue a submerged lands lease for a
designated area in Ohio’s portion of Lake Erie. The area covers approximately 5,706 acres located about six miles north of
the city of Lakewood.
Strickland’s office said that if performance metrics are met within the contract’s timeline, Ohio will become home to the first
freshwater wind farm in the world.
LEEDCo and Freshwater are planning to install five wind turbines at the proposed site in late 2012 as part of a pilot project.
The initial project is expected to produce approximately 20 megawatts of electric generating capacity. Estimates predict the
creation and retention of more than 600 jobs.
During the Option-to-Lease period, the companies will gather data necessary to meet the requirements for obtaining a longterm
submerged lands lease and for approval by the Ohio Power Siting Board. The Option-to-Lease agreement requires
LEEDCo and Freshwater to meet certain performance measures within agreed upon time limits. The agreement allows for
an initial two-year lease option period and can be extended up to three years if the performance measures are met.
“This agreement advances the project to build the first freshwater offshore wind farm in the world and emphasizes
Cleveland’s role as an international hub of renewable energy,” Strickland said in a statement. “This project builds on the
strengths of Ohio’s manufacturing and maritime industries, our incredible natural resources, and our advanced research
capacities, and puts Northeast Ohio on the cusp of creating thousands of jobs in the growing wind energy industry. We can
develop Lake Erie’s wind resources and grow our economy, while protecting the lake’s value as a vast natural resource. I
am very proud of the partnership we’ve developed with local and civic leaders to help us reach this point, and I strongly
encourage the state to continue this collaborative effort.”
U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, a longtime advocate of offshore wind energy responded to the announcement. “Offshore wind
represents America’s energy future — a clean, renewable source of power that helps put Americans back to work while
reducing our unsustainable dependence on foreign energy. Ohio is poised to lead the nation in this global race to a clean
energy future,” Brown said. “Over the course of the last several months, offshore wind in Lake Erie has gotten closer and
closer to becoming a reality. The signing of these leases is another strong signal that Lake Erie is ready to house the
world’s first offshore wind farm in freshwater.”
To view the interactive mapping tool showing the details used to develop the Wind Turbine Placement Favorability Analysis
Map, visit the Office of Costal Management website by selecting the “Coastal Wind” logo at www.ohiodnr.com/coastal. The
interactive map viewer also highlights the location of the nine grid cells included in lease option for the LEEDCo/Freshwater
Wind pilot project.