The “Ice Breaker project” through LEEDCo would build nine wind turbines seven miles off shore in Lake Erie. The wind in that area as an energy source has been researched and mapped to be more concentrated, which gives a great opportunity to capture a large amount of renewable energy.

By I CAN Schools student journalists I’Kisha Lang, Diamond Lee, Sayge Howard, and Ameer Levy

On Tuesday, June 12, four I CAN Schools scholars visited Lake Erie Energy Development Cooperation, commonly called LEEDCo.

LEEDCo is a non-profit organization with a plan to provide 6,000 plus job opportunities to citizens from Northeast Ohio and afar. This opportunity will provide an alternate energy source to reduce the large amounts of pollution in the Northeast Ohio region.

Coming up with an energy source that does not harm the environment can have an initial high price, yet, in the end, it’ll be worth it. Eighty percent of energy used in Ohio is from coal, which pollutes the air that we breathe and creates multiple other concerns with disposal, usage, and transport.

The “Ice Breaker project” through LEEDCo would build nine wind turbines seven miles off shore in Lake Erie. The wind in that area as an energy source has been researched and mapped to be more concentrated, which gives a great opportunity to capture a large amount of renewable energy.  With the lake having significantly more wind activity than the rest of Ohio, these strategically placed wind turbines are planned to be four times the size of a normal wind turbine (Great Lakes Science Center’s wind turbine, eg.), and to produce a lot more electricity.  Lake Erie would be the perfect place for this project as it builds up the history of Northeast Ohio with renewable energy as its guiding industry. Each turbine would produce three megawatts of energy or power.  With the combined power of nine turbines they would be able to produce twenty-seven megawatts of power. This much energy could power over 5,000 plus homes.