On
December 12, 2012, the Department of Energy (DOE) announced that they selected Icebreaker
as the only offshore wind project in the Great Lakes to win a highly competitive
federal grant worth up to $50 million. The
award provides an immediate $4 million investment from the DOE with a private
business contribution of $1 million; a collaborative partnership between LEEDCo
and the DOE; and it gives us the opportunity to compete for an additional $46.7
million in federal funding over the next 5 years. Additionally, this selection is a strong
validation of offshore wind’s potential in the Great Lakes region.
Over
the course of the next year, we will find the most cost effective way to finance
the project; navigate the regulatory process to apply for all necessary
permits; and develop innovative installation methodologies to address
challenges specific to Lake Erie as well as the other Great Lakes. Ultimately, the down select process for
winning the additional funding will be based on how well we complete the above;
how we are able to use innovation to drive down the cost of energy; and the
extent to which we demonstrate that we are ahead of the other 6 projects.
More
importantly, this grant will play integral role in our larger mission to build
an offshore wind industry in the Great Lakes. This region has an enormous opportunity to
capitalize on the growing global market for offshore wind, and our robust service
sector could become a major player. Once
Icebreaker is complete, those turbines will not only pave the way toward a more
sustainable energy economy, but they will provide a platform for collecting
environmental data from an operating project. Additionally, excellent research institutions,
like Case Western Reserve University and the University of Michigan, will help
us pioneer new methodologies for lowering the cost of energy.
With
the start of the DOE project on 02/15/13, we are one big step closer to
building the first freshwater offshore wind project in North America. This project will bring hundreds of jobs to
the region and pave the way for thousands of jobs in the future. It will provide an immediate source of clean
renewable energy, attract businesses from around the world, and become a huge
source of civic pride for decades to come.
One day soon, when the skies
are clear, we can look out across Lake Erie to see clean
energy gracing the horizon—symbols of a promising future for the Great Lakes.
Dr. Lorry Wagner
President
LEEDCo
