The Great Lakes are ideal for wind energy

Read the full story at Grist.

There are no wind turbines on the Great Lakes — and it isn’t for lack of wind. 

This titanic network of interconnected freshwater lakes with a surface area larger than New England, New York, and New Jersey combined is theoretically ideal for wind farms. Winds sweeping across the lakes are stronger, more consistent, and less turbulent than those over land. The National Laboratory of the Rockies has estimated that the Great Lakes states have enough offshore wind potential to generate more than three times their combined annual electricity consumption. 

Plus, unlike proposed wind farms along the East Coast, where the federal government controls the seabed, Great Lakes states have jurisdiction over their lakebeds. While projects would still face federal oversight, some proponents see wind development in the Great Lakes as a potential workaround to President Trump’s attacks on the industry.