The Supreme Court of Ohio last week approved a permit for the construction of North America’s first freshwater offshore wind farm, Icebreaker Wind. The six-turbine, 20.7 MW offshore project will be developed by the Lake Erie Energy Development Corporation (LEEDCo) in Lake Erie, north of Cleveland.
The Supreme Court challenge was presented by two area residents, supported by Murray Energy, a coal company that declared bankruptcy since the lawsuit was filed. The plaintiffs claimed that the project had not been properly evaluated for its potential impacts on birds and bats and that it would not serve the public interest.
The court disagreed, by a vote of 6-1, saying that the Ohio Power Siting Board had provided studies that indicated birds and bats would be minimally impacted by the wind farm. The ruling said the plaintiffs “have not shown that the board’s decision to issue the certificate subject to conditions was unlawful or unreasonable.”
The Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority said the project has received all required approvals to move forward.
A third of the power from the wind farm is already under contract to the City of Cleveland and Cuyahoga County.
