Kent Environmental Council
P.O. Box 395
Kent, Ohio 44240
Ohio Power Siting Board,

The purpose of this letter is to add the endorsement of the Kent Environmental Council for the proposed development of electrical generation using wind generators constructed in Lake Erie, by Windustrious Cleveland. Wind power is abundantly available over Lake Erie and unlike fossil fuels is not exhausted over time. Six wind generators are currently proposed for Lake Erie and will be located near the City of Cleveland, creating an efficient use of the wind resource without the loss of power inherent in long transmission lines. The proposed Lake Erie siting does not require large areas of land nor does it impinge on near-by residents or pose a threat to private land values. Further, the implementation of alternative energy sources will reduce pressure on our state parks and forests which are under the threat of gas and oil development.

The Kent Environmental Council has, since 1970, stood for the protection of the environment and all of its biological diversity. To that end recent studies have shown that birds and bats are not significantly affected by an off-shore wind farm: birds have learned to navigate these fields and bats do not typically frequent areas this far from land. Most importantly wind power does not contribute to climate instability but rather promotes a new power generating application that has been shown to be clean, safe and effective throughout Europe and around the world. By contrast, drilling for gas and oil requires millions of gallons of fresh water, which is then laced with dangerous chemicals for the fracking process. This water can never be returned to use but must be injected deep in the earth where it poses threats to the safety of our ground water and nearby residents. Coal, a principal fuel for centuries, is, and will continue to be, a threat to our climate and health.

Like energy from solar generation, the cost of wind energy and wind turbine installation has dropped dramatically and will continue to drop with increased adoption and manufacturing capacity. For all of these reasons the Kent Environmental Council strongly supports the Windustrious Cleveland initiative and looks forward to Ohio becoming a leader in the development and expansion of wind power, a source of good jobs and a brighter future.

Sincerely,
Kent Environmental Council