1. Offshore Wind Energy is the Future for the Great Lakes-Let’s Start
with Lake Michigan!
Issue and Solution
There has been a need to find
alternative but sustainable energy
sources for some time now. The
world cannot depend on fossil fuels
such as coal, petroleum and natural
gas forever because we are using
those resources faster than the earth
can supply. A source of energy that
will never diminish and that is also
natural is wind. Wind energy is a
future major potential energy source
for the world to harness. To gather
wind energy wind turbines have been
established in areas all around the
world, mostly on land. Winds are strong along the water-land boundaries of this world and,
overall, wind speeds are higher over the water than over land in the same proximity. This is
illustrated for the coastal regions of the United States in Figure 1. We need to take advantage of
these high winds and harnessing this wind power can potentially produce enough electricity to
power almost 3 million houses (Nordman).
Offshore wind turbines are not something new. Europe is a decisive leader in offshore
wind as they have had wind turbines in the water for over two decades now, growing at gigawatt
levels in additional annual capacity since 2012. With offshore wind already playing a proven key
role in Europe's power grid, it is time for the United States to make water-based wind turbines a
key supplement to the energy grid infrastructure (EWEA statistics).
KEY MESSAGE: Earth’s fossil fuels are basically finite. With people using more fossil
fuels than the earth can regenerate there is a need for an alternative power source in the
future. Wind is infinite. The specific policy application here pertains to buffering the energy
generating capability of the states bordering the Great Lakes through advocating offshore
wind energy capability. This will strengthen the overall energy grid of the region, provide a
sustainable non-polluting source of energy, provide the ability to sell excess energy to
neighboring grids, provide construction and maintenance jobs to the region, and provide
additional habitat for fish stocks in the Great Lakes.
Figure 1. Lake Michigan has exceptional wind resource potential.
Source: U.S. Department of Energy, National Renewable Energy
Laboratory.

2. Benefits
Michigan State University’s (MSU) Land Policy Institute projected the potential
electricity generating capacity of the Great Lakes surrounding this state. Their model used a six-
mile shoreline visual buffer, a minimum depth of about 100 feet, and 3.6 Mega Watt turbines.
These researchers found that about a 9,500 turbine capacity could be installed in Michigan’s
Great Lakes waters, which would be enough to power almost 3 million homes (Nordman).
Offshore wind farms could produce benefits in growth of the job market (employing
thousands of workers for years to come in construction and maintenance), produce energy
independence, diversify energy production and, as mentioned earlier, less reliance on fossil fuels
such as coal, petroleum and natural gas to power homes and businesses. It is also clean energy
and will reduce greenhouse gases being emitted. Furthermore, winds on the Great Lakes are not
only more powerful, but they are also more reliable than on land, improving the capability of
wind farms to yield more reliable power (MKE Journal Sentinel). Since wind is a natural and
free source, a fuel adjustment charge on your electric bill related with wind energy would not be
necessary. It would help avoid 1.3 billion pounds of carbon dioxide emissions a year as well as
decreasing the need to import 17 million barrels of oil a year. Overall, offshore wind energy is
good for the environment, good for ratepayers since wind energy provides a hedge against rising
fuel costs, and good for an expanded workforce (Deepwaterwind).
Water-based wind farms may even benefit the lake environment. The offshore wind
turbine support structures can function as artificial reefs, yielding an increase in fish habitat and
localized populations for some species by providing additional food, refuge, and nursery with
increased habitat diversity (AWEA).
Potential Weaknesses
Potential weaknesses for the environment could be a disruption of species habitation, and
spawning due to vibrations and scouring of the lake bottom or the turning blades posing a threat
to migratory birds. However, studies show that these would have minimal impacts, if at all. Bird
migration will be unaffected. Sound and vibration that come with constructing and
decommissioning of offshore wind facilities are temporary, localized and are not expected to
result in significant damage to fish auditory tissue or anatomy/physiology. The sound is largely
below ambient levels and not expected to result in long-term or population-level impacts to fish
and other species. As mentioned in the strengths, it can actually provide benefits to habitat
(AWEA).
The main weaknesses of offshore wind farms is the high cost due to construction,
maintenance and distance from shoreline. Offshore wind energy projects need to be robustly
built to withstand rough weather conditions that may be exacerbated by climate change (Center
for Water Policy), and need to be built large (many turbines per farm), or otherwise they are not
economically viable. The costs of installing an offshore wind turbine were around $5 million per
megawatt of capacity in 2010. Return on investments, according to recent studies, for offshore

3. developments can be as high as 18% which gives some certainty to investors. At the global level,
investments in the offshore wind energy sector grew by 30% in 2010 compared to the 2009
(Haluzan). When dealing with cost, the closer the wind farms are to the shore, the less the cost of
construction and maintenance. However, there are concerns of some people that wind turbines
would decrease the quality and appreciation of their view across the water.
Policiesand Stakeholders
Studies have been completed by stakeholders such as the Great Lakes Wind (GLOW)
Council in Michigan who expanded and refined the work of the MSU Land Policy Institute to
find viable areas for offshore wind energy development as well. Using criteria such as a six-mile
visual shoreline buffer, water depth, shipping lanes, parks and preserves, airports and
shipwrecks, the GLOW Council identified two areas in Lake Michigan most favorable for wind
energy development which are just off the shore of Delta and Berrien counties (Nordman).
The Michigan GLOW Council
recommended that the legislature create a clear
permitting process, methods of leasing the
publicly-owned bottomlands, structures for
receiving royalty payments from wind farm
developers, and guidelines for public input in
the permitting process (Nordman). Since then,
nothing but trouble was created. Many people
at public meetings voiced their concerns about
having offshore wind farms in their
“backyards.” Are wind turbines in water
(Figure 2) really that unsightly? Last year, the
U.S. Department of energy bypassed a grant
application for a pilot project in Lake Erie in favor of projects on the East and West coasts. In
Michigan, the Legislature has now introduced a bill to prohibit permits for offshore wind
turbines (Grant 2014 and Kloosterman 2015).
What needs to happen is for state legislatures to actually consider the overall public
good, minimize the input of lobbyists and rethink strategies to allow wind farms to be built.
Educating the public that regardless of their individual view of what factors are driving climate
change, there needs to be diversification of energy supply not based on fossil fuel consumption.
The best diversification for energy generation for the Great Lakes or any coastal region is
water-based wind energy. Educating the public on the benefits of wind farms and how they will
not harm wildlife, not harm the public and not really visually mar the aesthetics of the lake view
are needed. Importantly, these educational initiatives could change the tone and direction of the
public input phase governments seek when considering legislation.
Figure 2. Wind turbines in the water.

4. Conclusion
Since Earth’s resources will not be able to sustain people forever, a different fuel source
is necessary. Offshore wind farms in Lake Michigan have been in discussion before, but nothing
has progressed due to public comments and the unknown success in the United States. Offshore
wind farms have many benefits such as powering homes and creating more jobs. There are
essentially no weaknesses other than cost, which would be reduced with wind farms being closer
to shore. Educating the public on the benefits should help the cause. Offshore wind farms have
already been successful in Europe. The United States should consider this technology to
diversify their power grid.
– Authored by JoeMorrissey

5. References
American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) (n.d.). Research on offshore wind and wildlife.
Retrieved from http://www.awea.org/Issues/Content.aspx?ItemNumber=4619
Center for Water Policy (n.d.). Climate Change Impacts on Energy in the Great Lakes Basin.
Retrieved from http://uwm.edu/centerforwaterpolicy/wp-
content/uploads/sites/170/2013/10/Great-Lakes_Energy_Final.pdf
Deepwaterwind (n.d.). Benefits of Offshore Wind Energy. Retrieved from
http://dwwind.com/resources/benefits-of-offshore-wind
European Wind Energy Association (EWEA) (n.d.). Offshore statistics. Retrieved from
http://www.ewea.org/statistics/offshore-statistics/
European Wind Energy Association (EWEA) (n.d.). Offshore wind. Retrieved from
http://www.ewea.org/policy-issues/offshore/
Haluzan, N. (n.d.). Offshore wind power – Advantages and disadvantages. Retrieved from
http://www.renewables-
info.com/drawbacks_and_benefits/offshore_wind_power_%E2%80%93_advantages_and_disadv
antages.html
Grant, J. (2014, June 19). Developers face obstacles to offshore wind farms in Great Lakes.
Retrieved from http://michiganradio.org/post/developers-face-obstacles-offshore-wind-farms-
great-lakes
Kloosterman, S. (2015, Feb. 11). Whatever happened to offshore wind energy? Five years since
Lake Michigan wind turbines proposed. Retrieved from
http://www.mlive.com/news/muskegon/index.ssf/2015/02/whatever_happened_to_offshore.html
Milwaukee Wisconsin Journal Sentinel (2012, April 12). Offshore Wind Farms Have Great
Potential for States. Retrieved from http://www.jsonline.com/news/opinion/offshore-wind-
farms-have-great-potential-for-states-0i53cf7-148344455.html
Nordman, E. (n.d.). Status of Offshore Wind Energy in Michigan’s Great Lakes. Retrieved from
http://www.gvsu.edu/cms3/assets/F5B05B98-B6D8-9801-
381E62B0B0407514/delegwind/offshore_status_fact_sheet_26aug.pdf
Phys.org (2009, Nov. 24). Mankind using Earth’s resources at an alarming rate. Retrieved from
http://phys.org/news178269435.html
Uelmen, B. (n.d.). Using Geographic Information Systems to Analyze Suitable Locations for
Water Wind Turbine Farms in Lake Michigan. Retrieved from
http://www.gis.smumn.edu/GradProjects/UelmenB.pdf (another study for suitable locations)

6. U.S. Department of Energy, National Renewable Energy Laboratory (n.d.). United States – Wind
Resource Map. Retrieved from http://www.nrel.gov/gis/pdfs/windsmodel4pub1-1-
9base200904enh.pdf