LEEDCo

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Basic Questions

What is LEEDCo?

It’s an acronym for “Lake Erie Energy Development Corporation,” a regional private, nonprofit enterprise spearheading an effort to build and install a 20 megawatt (MW) offshore pilot wind project in Lake Erie. The deployment is the first step toward the goal of stimulating the installation of 1000 megawatts (MW) of wind capacity in the Ohio waters of Lake Erie by 2020.  With this initial project and subsequent projects, LEEDCo and its partners aim to fuel a new, robust offshore freshwater wind energy industry in America that could re-energize Northern Ohio’s manufacturing economy.
 

Who founded LEEDCo?

Lake Erie Energy Development Corporation (LEEDCo) was created by agreement in August 2009 among key members of the Great Lakes Energy Development Task Force (GLEDTF):  the Cleveland Foundation, the City of Cleveland, Cuyahoga County (Ohio), Lorain County (Ohio).and NorTech.  In December 2009, NorTech Energy Enterprise (an initiative of NorTech) undertook a project to get LEEDCo formally organized to be operated as a stand-alone entity.
 

What is LEEDCo’s role and responsibility for offshore wind projects?

LEEDCo is not a project developer, nor a manufacturer, nor installer or service provider for any offshore wind project.  LEEDCo has formed relationships with its partners to be preferred providers of those roles.  Rather, LEEDCo plays two primary functions, working in close coordination with its partners.  First, it aims to garner public support for prudent development of offshore wind in the Ohio waters of Lake Erie, and to convert that support into successful deployment of wind projects.  Second, it aims to maximize the local content of the economic activity associated with offshore wind deployment in Lake Erie.
 

Who is the developer for the project?

As part of a competitive process, LEEDCo selected Freshwater Wind, LLC to own and address all stages of development of the wind farm project. The team will provide the broad range of expertise and experience needed to bring the project to completion.
 

How many homes will be powered by the initial project?

The initial 20 MW project would annually produce electricity equivalent to the needs of 5,000-6,000 average U.S. homes.
 

Who will buy the power from this wind farm?

The developer, Freshwater Wind is currently negotiating terms for a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA). A PPA will determine who is buying power.
 

Why is Lake Erie considered a good location for a wind farm?

There are many reasons, including the lake’s strong winds, shallow depth, proximity to a major power grid and interconnection sites, proximity to industrial centers, and the lake’s fresh (not saline) water. A two-year feasibility study helped pave the way for this and future Lake Erie wind turbine projects.
 

Is the feasibility study available to the public?

LEEDCo contracted with JW Great Lakes Wind LLC to perform the feasibility study. Download the PDF here: http://development.cuyahogacounty.us/pdf_development/en-US/GLWECFeasibilityRpt.pdf
 

Why GE?

By partnering with an American company that has GE’s capabilities, LEEDCo sees the best possible opportunity for building a significant offshore freshwater wind sector in Northern Ohio that will generate economic activity. LEEDCo looked at 12 offshore turbine OEMs, made visits around the world, and evaluated the OEMs according to a half-dozen criteria. It was determined that GE was the most-credible partner in the industry to develop a commercially competitive product optimized for the Great Lakes, deliver and maintain excellent equipment, cultivate the emergence of a strong local supply chain, and advocate the necessary policies at the federal and state level. LEEDCo’s partnership will GE will help the offshore wind market grow to its potential, and be an engine to employ thousands of people in Northern Ohio in such areas as logistics, maritime, research, engineering, construction, and manufacturing.
 

How does offshore wind work?

how-offshore-small

An appropriate foundation type (1) is selected once a suitable place for a wind farm is found and evaluated. These foundation types range from monopiles (which are driven into the bedrock), to gravity-based foundations (which consist of either concrete or steel and rest on top of the lakebed), to tripod jackets (adopted from the oil & gas industry), and others. Erosion protection, similar to sea defenses, are placed at the base to prevent damage to the sea floor. The top of the foundation is painted a bright color to make it visible to ships and has an access platform to allow maintenance teams to dock.

 

Once the turbine is assembled, sensors on the turbine detect the wind direction and turn the head, known as the nacelle , to face into the wind, so that the blades can collect the maximum amount of energy. The movement of the wind over the aerodynamically shaped blades (2) makes them rotate around a horizontal hub, which is connected to a shaft inside the nacelle (3). This shaft, via a gearbox, powers a generator to convert the energy into electricity. Subsea cables (4) take the power to an offshore transformer (5) which converts the electricity to a high voltage (33kV) before running it back 5 -10 miles to connect to the grid at a substation on land (6).

 

National Renewable Energy Laboratory FAQ

Click here to visit the National Renewable Energy Laboratory FAQ in a new window.

 

American Wind Energy Association FAQ

Click here to visit the American Wind Energy Association in a new window.