So the US Department of Energy ranks that Great Lakes region as a great place to build wind turbines. The region is especially well suited to handle offshore wind installations. The wind near and on the lakes is comparable to the wind on the great plains.
This would seem like a great thing! In an area that is currently struggling economically there is a great source of jobs just waiting to be tapped. Education programs surrounding wind power have been popping up all over the country, and with a few wind installations projects in the Great Lakes there could be a fantastic market for people with the right skill sets.
The downside is that there is a still a lot of opposition to wind power, especially from residents of the region who are nervous about the aesthetics of wind farms and the noise pollution associated with turning turbines. There are additional concerns about the safety of wind turbines for area wildlife that have plagued the viability of wind facilities for years.
At a conference last fall I sat in on a very interesting talk about the effects that wind turbines had on terrestrial life where they were built. The problem with the data is that there is simply not enough of it. And it is difficult to tell if the potential benefits of wind turbines will be able to outweigh the potential problems that might be caused to wildlife.
The fight for and against wind power in the Great Lakes is being played out in slightly different was in places all over the United States and throughout the world. Alternative energy needs to be a part of our future, and wind energy is a part of that alternative energy future. But obviously, there are still a lot of concerns that need to be addressed, in Chicago and the rest of the Great Lakes and the world.
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