By: Mark Glennon*
Why put wind turbines on Lake Michigan when that would cost at least five times as much as putting them on land?
Cost doesn’t matter in Illinois when it comes to spending on renewable energy ideas. The latest example of wind turbines on Lake Michigan is particularly egregious, and even environmental cost seems not to matter.
Supporters of the idea didn’t get their legislation through the General Assembly last session but intend to do so this session, according to a recent column by Greg Hinz at Crain’s. The idea is for a wind farm of 10 to 12 turbines on Lake Michigan off Chicago’s Southeast Side. The lead Senate sponsor of the measure last session was Robert Peters (D-Chicago) and a list of green progressives sponsored a similar concept in the House.
It sure would be nice if they’d take note of a recent, comprehensive, two-year study from the State of New York that looked at similar ideas for Lakes Erie and Huron. It slammed the idea.
The report, by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, is described in many articles from media bordering those lakes, such as here and here. “Great Lakes wind currently does not offer a unique, critical, or cost-effective contribution toward the achievement of New York State’s Climate Act goals beyond what existing, more cost-competitive programs are currently expected to deliver,” according to the New York study.
But its lessons apply to all the Great Lakes.
“There are valuable lessons in this comprehensive examination for anyone charged with or concerned about the care and future of The Great Lakes,” Lake Erie Foundation Board Member John Lipaj said after a review of the NYSERDA Study. “New York’s Authority rejects the concept of wind turbines in the lakes, sending a strong message to other states and federal regulators.”
Electricity from offshore turbines would cost almost five times that of land based turbines, according to the Lake Erie Foundation. Hinz, in an earlier column quoted Environmental Law & Policy Center Executive Director Howard Learner as saying the cost excess is even worse – six to eight times as much for lake over land turbines.
That means the subsidy the public will have to bear will be enormous — $680 million, according to Lerner, and possibly much higher.
Environmental concerns are also severe. Illinois environmental groups have been relatively quiet so far, being generally disposed to favor renewables, but it’s safe to say their opposition may come, as it has for the other Great Lakes turbine proposals.
How could such a foolish project gain support?
It offers two supposed sweeteners.
First, the legislation “contains provisions to ensure that the jobs generated from the project go towards the Black and Brown communities that need them the most,” its supporters say, and “if Illinois doesn’t pass this legislation now, it sends the wrong message both to the Black and Brown communities that are looking to Democrats to create the jobs they need, as well as to D.C.” Second, it has union support. International Union of Operating Engineers Local 150 is behind it.
We’ve often written that anything green gets a blank check in Illinois. Nobody cares about cost. But when you add racial justice and union support, you’re really in business.
Despite the cost issues he highlighted, Hinz wrote that he’s favorably disposed toward the project, subject to further review, because “our planet will be a toxic dust bowl if we wait for unamimity.” He also wrote that the “A recent report from New York state also cited the potential of power from the Great Lakes.” No, the New York report has been hailed by Great Lakes wind opponents for pretty much killing the idea.
One matter I have found no answer to was sparked by a couple emails I got during that very windy, cold patch we had before Christmas. Turbines shut down in the high wind, people noticed and told me. Indeed they do automatically go down around 50 MPH, I came to learn. Wouldn’t that be much more common out on the lake?
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In other wind turbine and renewable news, Gov. JB Pritzker is reportedly poised to sign legislation, already passed by both houses, that will override certain local control matters on wind turbines.
Among other things, it would to allow for setbacks of just 150 feet between solar panel fields and neighboring homes. The bill is opposed by two-thirds of Illinois counties.
Pritzker’s signature would violate an earlier campaign promise. He was asked if, as governor, whether he would support legislation to create statewide controls over the siting of wind or solar projects.
“No,” he answered. “In fact I’ve specifically avoided that. I don’t think that’s the way. We’ve got to have a continuous conversation, the one that we’ve been having for years now, between the state and local governments and local control, so that we decide together about siting.”
Promises, like cost, apparently also don’t matter when it comes to renewable energy.
*Mark Glennon is founder of Wirepoints.
Correction and Update: This column was corrected in the final section to change the setback override to solar panel fields instead of wind turbines.
Earlier pertinent Wirepoints columns:
- Electricity cost rising 50% in much of Illinois and risk of brownouts looms
- More Signs That Illinois’ Green ‘Industrial Policy’ Is Failing
- Should Illinois Follow Norway’s Lead To Break Impasse On Energy Bill By Just Writing A Check?
- World Turning Against Unchecked Green Energy Spending But 93 Programs Aren’t Nearly Enough For Illinois
- Crony Capitalism’s Latest Scheme for Illinois is Green
- Lake Michigan water levels have dropped to near normal, so yet another climate explanation emerges
- Other States Balk at Multibillion Dollar Cost While Illinois Spends Blindly on Energy Alternatives – In Depth
Audio and summary 
If this bill passes, say goodbye to local control over all Illinois parks and expect to see open drug and alcohol use, needles, no sanitation and fire hazards, but no ordinary park users.
Why when it costs 5x? Obvious! The plan is to break everyone and everything.
Lori should seek some heavy support for this fine endeavor. Bring in a Calvinist Puritan like John Kerry. Only a select few like himself are capable of understand it all the fine work he’s doing on behalf of the earth. Hmmmmm, maybe Al Gore who’s starting to look like an Orc.
Who would own these? The state? Shouldn’t Exelon be building them? Irregardless, the most practical place in the city to our them would be the old Soirh Works site–from 69th to 83rd on the lake. It’s too toxic for anything else. There may also be some very heavy duty electrical infrastructure that could be repurposed as US Steel was a massive consumer of power. I imagine the reason they want them offshore is to mitigate the noise. No doubt you would get pushback from the community on that issue, however if there are really any jobs to be had for… Read more »
“Illinois supporters expected to press ahead with crazy idea of wind turbines on Lake Michigan”….daah….graft.
Venecko Wind Turbine Installations
if there were more sailors there’d be a lot less nonsense about wind and solar “power”
Pritzker apparently spent upwards of $350M for a custom-fitted chair in the gov’s office. Instead, he could have bought a few of these as tax credits to offset his mansion’s property taxes and avoided the toilet scandal. He’s not very bright.
If the unions want it, you can bet good money that it will happen in IL.
Sometimes I wonder if I’m the only person who thinks so much of this doesn’t make any sense. And then I read your work, and I am so truly grateful. Thank you Mark.
1) Purchase the Village of Robbins for $1
2) Convert all land to windfarms
3) Profit
Add Harvey, Ford Heights, North Chicago to the list. $4 total. What a bargain. Leave the lakeshore alone.
No. Oak Park and Evanston.
YES!
Yes, yes, yes, Mark !
I concede Ford Heights is a far better candidate due to land availability, but we might be only to fit 2 windmills.
As woke as Ford Motor is (the employees want to stop manufacturing police vehicles), they’ll want one on the roof of the nearby assembly plant, so 3.
Most of the PD’s are switching to Dodges now
I remember my favorite hotdog stand in Harvey from years back. “Willie’s Wiener Wagon…we relish your buns!”
“Why put wind turbines on Lake Michigan when that would cost at least five times as much as putting them on land?” To show all the world simultaneously how virtuously pro environment and financially idiotic we are!!!
Follow the money. Somebody’s getting paid.
Nothing but an empty dog whistle. Even these dopes know the economy will be at a standstill soon and the boondoggle money will dry up
Sounds goofy enough to come from Lori or Arbuckle. Why not a metal schredding. Anything proposed by the mayor or governor should be immediately ignored. Neither will be around for all the blowback.
I’m old enough to remember environmentalist communists (today’s progressives) going completely insane when the Bush administration floating off-shore drilling in the great lakes.
Now these same people want to put windmills offshore?
Ahh yes and the same ones were predicting a nuclear winter too.
Nuclear winter, global warming, climate crisis – they can’t make up their minds because they decide on ‘feelings.’ No logic, no research, no consideration of ramifications … but it ‘feels’ good.
Stupid chickens.
Not bi-polar but tri-polar…
Aside from aesthetics there’s no serious study about the effect of wind turbines on the environment. It’s opined that the unusual beaching of whales on the Atlantic seabord is due to the sonics produced by these machines. Large sea creatures navigate through sound. When they can no longer send and receive auditory communications, their lives are scrambled. The disruptive effects of submarines on ocean mammals have long been known. Any unnatural sound traveling via water is bound to be destructive. In assition to numerous birds being killed by windmillls, I look forward to the destruction of a plane by the… Read more »
The rich north shore condo dwellers wont be liking all the dead birds that will be washing up on the beach. The rich north shore folks will lose their view too and have to look at ugly machinery in front of their sunrises. I know, put the windmills down by all the black folks on the south shore! Problem solved.
True! This would never be considered if it was to be off the North Shore. Yet they claim it’s environmental justice to stick it off the shore of a minority community.
Southeast Side = Indiana. They’re pushing these as close to the border as possible.
Easy question, because when government makes decision’s, they MUST make the worst one. That is how government does it work, worthless pieces of Schmitt, every last one of them. Governments job is to grow like a cancer and kill the poor honest hard-working taxpayer and their families.