The U.S. Department of Energy is advancing another US$ 3.7 million to the Lake Erie Energy Development Corp. (LEEDCo) to continue engineering work on a proposed wind turbine project in Lake Erie about seven to 10 miles northwest of downtown Cleveland.
The grant is the third the DOE has awarded to LEEDCo, bringing the total federal funding to US$ 10.7 million. Previous grants have helped pay for the development of foundation engineering designs. LEEDCo plans to use six turbines designed for off-shore wind farms around the world on foundations designed to withstand ocean wind and current conditions. It would be the first offshore fresh water project, meaning the foundation designs would have to be able to withstand ice on the surface as well as underwater ice floes and ice dams.
