Offshore wind development in the Great Lakes region has had a turbulent history.
Once considered a promising location for such projects, Wisconsin and other regional states have faced setbacks, although experts still wonder about a revival. Despite early proposals that surfaced more than a decade ago, no commercial offshore wind turbines have been installed in the Great Lakes region.
Greg Nemet, professor of public affairs at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, who studies energy policy, said the Great Recession, lack of technology and minimal interest from utilities thwarted the initial buzz. Some factors have changed, but Nemet acknowledged there are still hurdles.
"It seems to be because of increases in the cost of equipment -- some of the specialized equipment that you need to work offshore -- and then, a higher interest-rate environment," Nemet outlined.
This month, the Lake Erie Energy Development Corporation decided to halt its Ohio wind project indefinitely.
Nemet pointed out land-based wind farms are prominent in other parts of the Midwest. Wisconsin is not known for its wind, but Nemet stressed lake winds are strong, and in the push for clean energy, it is hard to rule out an offshore project eventually being floated in places like Wisconsin.
Nemet noted one attractive feature for offshore projects is, you can build them closer to locations with larger energy demands, with Milwaukee coming to mind. Land-based projects, despite their growth, still can face local opposition. Offshore projects do, too, but Nemet does not see them being as big a problem.
"At the nearest, they'd be on the distant horizon, so you wouldn't really see them very much," Nemet explained.
Even though aesthetics might not get local residents angered about a project, he added effects on birds and their migratory paths could drum up opposition to offshore development. However, some researchers said if technology matures for floating turbines in freshwater settings, it could help alleviate concerns about jump-starting such projects in the Great Lakes region.
This story was produced with original reporting from Nicole Pollack for Inside Climate News.
