Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland has signed a lease option on his last business day in office, giving the go-ahead for wind turbines on Lake Erie. Strickland told The (Cleveland) Plain Dealer the agreement will provide Lake Erie Energy Development Co. the legal right to conduct extensive testing in the lake. The company plans to begin building five large wind turbines in 2014.
With Lake Erie in the background, a wind turbine, which provides energy for the neighboring Great Lakes Science Center, is seen outside Cleveland Browns Stadium in Cleveland. In one of last official acts as governor, Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland intends to sign an iron-clad lease option giving the Lake Erie Energy Development Co. the legal right to conduct extensive testing in Lake Erie toward the construction in 2014 of five large wind turbines. -Amy Sancetta, AP
The order follows Strickland’s consistent support of the $100 million pilot project in renewable energy. The outgoing Democratic governor views it as a way to launch a new turbine construction industry in northeast Ohio. The state owns the lake bottom, and Strickland has taken steps during his administration to speed up permitting.
–The Plain Dealer www.cleveland.com
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