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Monday, April 02, 2012

Feds reach agreement with 5 Great Lakes states to spur offshore wind farms in lakes

The Obama administration and five states have reached an agreement to speed up plans for wind farms in the Great Lakes, The Associated Press reports. Plans for construction haven't moved forward because of cost concerns and public opposition. Under the deal, state and federal agencies will craft blueprints for speeding regulatory review without sacrificing environmental and safety standards. Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, New York and Pennsylvania signed the agreement.

Opponents say turbines would "ruin spectacular vistas, lower shoreline property values and harm birds and fish," AP reports. Last year, New York Power Authority abandoned plans to build 200 turbines on lakes Erie and Ontario. Supports, though, say the Great Lakes are an "untapped source of clean energy and economic growth." Officials say offshore winds could generate more than 700 gigawatts of electricity. Each gigawatt of offshore wind could power 300,000 homes while reducing demand for electricity from coal, according to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. (Read more)

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