The Great Lakes Towing Company Forecasts Unprecedented Economic Growth in Clean, Offshore Wind Energy in Lake Erie.

Often lauded by pundits, politicians and many industry leaders as the “Saudi Arabia of Wind,” Lake Erie has the potential to supply enough clean energy to light up tens of thousands of homes and power thousands
of businesses. Lake Erie Energy Development Co. (LEEDCo) has provided the spark necessary to ignite that power generation. Armed with  $50 million in federal support, LEEDCo will carry the distinction of being the first-to-market player in the freshwater offshore wind energy arena, with the anticipated completion of its “Icebreaker” wind farm in 2018.

Lake Erie: The Central Hub for U.S. Offshore Power Generation

Once complete, the six-turbine demonstration project located eight miles from the Cleveland shoreline could potentially position Lake Erie as a central hub for U.S. offshore wind power generation. As quoted by U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-OH), “The strength of the Icebreaker project, as opposed to its competitors, lies in LEEDCo’s commitment to leverage offshore wind energy with local Ohio-based jobs in the steel, construction and transportation industries. This means local job possibilities beyond wind generation are on the horizon.” One of those Ohio-based suppliers with its sights set on the vital maritime role in future offshore wind development is The Great Lakes Towing Company (GLT), a fixture on the Cleveland shoreline since 1899. GLT owns and operates a fleet of tugboats and a full-service shipyard, and has been pursuing multiple market opportunities in offshore wind, including manufacturing of turbine foundations, construction logistics, and long-term maintenance, repair and operations services.

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