After a state entity shelved the proposal for wind turbines in Lake Erie 14 months ago, opponents of the idea suspected it was only a matter of time before the idea would be recycled.
“Western New York does not want these wind turbines in Lake Erie,” said David Adrian, an aquatic biologist and member of the Citizens Against Wind Turbines in Lake Erie.
The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority determined in December 2022 that it wasn’t the right time to put the turbines in Lake Erie or Lake Ontario. NYSERDA concluded the turbines would cost more than other renewable energy options, and wouldn’t offer a feasible contribution to state climate goals.
Five months later, State Sen. Pete Harckham, a Westchester County Democrat and chairman of the Senate Environmental Conservation Committee, proposed a pilot project to place wind turbines in Lake Erie.
His bill, which sits in the committee, states that reaching the state’s goal of “zero-emission electricity and decarbonization may not be possible without harnessing the wind resources over the Great Lakes.”
New York’s Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act requires 70% of electricity to come from renewable sources, such as solar and wind, by 2030, and for the state to achieve zero-emission electricity by 2040.
NYSERDA concluded the turbines would cost more than other renewable energy options, and wouldn’t offer a feasible contribution to state…
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