Windpower Engineering & Development

  • Home
  • Articles
    • Most recent posts
    • News
    • Featured
  • Resources
    • Digital issues
    • Podcasts
    • Suppliers
    • Webinars
    • Events
  • Videos
  • 2025 Leadership
    • 2024 Winners
    • 2023 Winners
    • 2022 Winners
  • Magazine
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe

2014 Innovator: Dr. Lorry Wagner, president of LEEDCo

By WPED Contributor | June 26, 2014

Lorry on GE Turbine in Norway 9-2010The East and West coasts are not the only places for offshore turbines in the U.S. The Great Lakes, Lake Erie in particular, is the site for North America’s first inland offshore turbines, in part thanks to the research and persistence of Dr. Lorry Wagner, President of the Lake Erie Energy Development Corporation.

Dr. Wagner has been leading the effort to develop the Lake Erie-based Icebreaker offshore wind farm. This six-turbine pilot project is intended to unlock the vast offshore wind potential of the entire Great Lakes region. Advantages of the area include freshwater, readily available substation and grid capacity, underutilized ports, and an existing manufacturing supply chain.

His team has developed the innovations that solve the unique engineering, regulatory, and financial challenges associated with developing offshore wind in the freezing conditions of freshwater, a few of which include:

  • Developed a number of ice mitigating engineering solutions including an innovative monopile foundation designed to withstand Lake Erie’s harshest winters
  • Conducted the first geotechnical and geophysical analysis in the Great Lakes for the purposes of developing an offshore wind project
  • Designed the first vessel specifically for offshore wind installation in the Great Lakes
  • Built and demonstrated overwhelming public support by participating in hundreds of public meetings and conducting a door-to-door grassroots outreach campaign
  • Secured power purchase commitments for all the power through a unique grassroots, market-based power sales strategy
  • Assembled a world class team of local, domestic, and international partners to invest in, engineer, plan, permit, finance, construct, and monitor the project
  • Developed local and domestic manufacturing and professional service providers to participate in the industry and developed a plan to use more than 2/3 domestic manufacturing content
  • Submitted the first draft Environmental Assessment for an offshore wind project in the Great Lakes along with permit applications for all federal and state permits
  • Secured Letters of Intent from nine banks interested in providing non-recourse project financing
  • Negotiated a revenue sharing agreement among Ohio lakefront counties to guide future development – a first in the United States for offshore wind

Dr. Wagner has also been an important thought leader articulating the tremendous opportunity represented by offshore wind in the Great Lakes. For instance, he elevated the profile of Great Lakes wind potential when most of the focus is on the East Coast. Most media has overlooked the fact that the Great Lakes hold 20% of the total U.S. offshore wind potential (700+GW). What’s more, the area is the most coal dependent coastal region in the country.

This is all a part of his mission to build an offshore wind industry in the Great Lakes that creates jobs and heals the environment.

Prior to his work with LEEDCo, Dr. Wagner received his PhD in Nuclear Engineering from Purdue University and is a Distinguished Engineering Alumni. He has managed a large number of energy projects in the nuclear, hydroelectric, solar, and wind industries. He previously served as CEO of Azure Energy, Phillips Electric, Motor Guarantee Corp., Remote Sensors Inc., as well as Director of Research for Global Asset Management. WPE


Filed Under: Featured, Innovators & influencers, Offshore wind
Tagged With: LEEDco
 

About The Author

WPED Contributor

If you would like to contribute to Windpower, please contact us: https://www.windpowerengineering.com/meetourteam/

Related Articles Read More >

US government allows Empire Wind offshore project to resume construction
Atlantic Offshore lease sale opens millions of acres to wind development
Walney Extension Offshore Wind Farm
Construction starts on New York’s 924-MW Sunrise Wind offshore project
First monopile installed in Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind project

Podcasts

Wind Spotlight: Looking back at a year of Thrive with ZF Wind Power
See More >

Windpower Engineering & Development Digital Edition Archive

Digital Edition

Explore the full archive of digital issues of Windpower Engineering & Development, presented in a high-quality, user-friendly format. Access current and past editions, clip, share, and download valuable content from the industry’s leading wind power engineering resource.

Windpower Engineering & Development
  • Wind Articles
  • Solar Power World
  • Subscribe to Windpower Engineering
  • About Us/Contact Us

Copyright © 2025 WTWH Media LLC. All Rights Reserved. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of WTWH Media
Privacy Policy | Advertising

Search Windpower Engineering & Development

  • Home
  • Articles
    • Most recent posts
    • News
    • Featured
  • Resources
    • Digital issues
    • Podcasts
    • Suppliers
    • Webinars
    • Events
  • Videos
  • 2025 Leadership
    • 2024 Winners
    • 2023 Winners
    • 2022 Winners
  • Magazine
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe