Windmill Power
By JASON FREED
Staff writer
Port Clinton News Herald
January 9, 2004

Because of its ability to save natural resources and lower electric bills, windmill power is beginning to gain attention locally.

The village of Elmore began using windmill power in November to provide electricity to a small percentage of homes. Also, a resident of Put-in-Bay has a request pending before the Put-in-Bay Township Zoning Board of Appeals for a height variance, in order to erect a windmill on his property.

In November, Elmore began participating in an energy program called the Wind Farm project to receive a small percentage of their electricity from two windmills located just east of Bowling Green. The Wind Farm project is a collaboration between Green Mountain Energy, American Municipal Power and the city of Bowling Green.

"I think windmill power will be more of a trend," said Gary Rhiel, a member of the Elmore Board of Public Affairs. "It's just like other electricity. If you turn on a lightswitch, you can't tell the power is coming from a windmill."

The electricity generated feeds into the Elmore grid and amounts to about 2 to 3 percent of the village's overall power needs.

The innovative Wind Farm project is powered by two wind turbines, located on Ohio 6 just six miles west of Bowling Green, that sit on property owned by the Wood County Landfill. Each of the towers reach 257 feet tall, and the tips of the blades extend to 391 feet.

The blades can be rotated to take advantage of the best wind gusts.

The two turbines will generate approximately 6.9 million kilowatt-hours, or enough electricity to power about 785 homes.

Three electrical wires were installed to run the electricity from the turbines into the electrical grid, which then transports the power to Elmore, just under 20 miles from Bowling Green.

Sharon Arndt, also a member of the Elmore Board of Public Affairs, said by contracting with Wind Farm, the village is responsible for paying a portion of the construction of the two turbines.

The equipment cost $4.8 million to install. According to the power contract, Elmore will pay 2.78 percent of that cost or $133,444.

"The start-up costs are high, but once you pay for installation it's really cheap and clean," Arndt said. "Plus, I think those windmills are really beautiful."

Put-in-Bay Windmill Request

Edward and Annette Erickson, who own a home at 705 W. Shore Blvd. in Put-in-Bay, are similarly interested in windmill electricity.

On Dec. 17, Edward Erickson went before the Put-in-Bay Zoning Board of Appeals requesting a height and use variance so he could erect a windmill on his property.
 
Laurie Miller, secretary of the zoning commission, said Erickson's requests were tabled because he didn't have enough information about constructing a windmill.
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"He could not answer a lot of questions about the windmill," Miller said. She said Erickson was unable to provide information on the noise factor, for example.
 
Erickson said he has since researched the topic significantly, and will "fly all the way up from Florida," where he owns a second home, to meet with the zoning board again Jan. 23.

He described his reasons for wanting to build a windmill on his property in great detail.

First, he said, his mother-in-law is handicapped and her medical equipment requires constant electricity.

"Power outages here on the island are quite frequent, and due to the remoteness, can last for exceptionally long periods," Erickson said. "The island at one time had three submerged power cables, of which two have failed and never been replaced. When the final cable fails, I'm afraid we will be in the dark for a number of weeks."

Jennifer Shriver, area manager at Toledo Edison, confirmed the problems with submerged wires providing power to Put-in-Bay.

"I know there are current discussions happening between Ohio Edison and the mayor and residents of Put-in-Bay that deal with the condition and reliability of our services," she said. "We monitor what we need to do to>  provide adequate services on a routine basis. We would not allow power to be out for a few weeks."

Erickson said he is planning to build a second home on a lot located directly next to his current home in Put-in-Bay, and he wants the windmill to provide electricity for both of the residences.

"Ohio uses net metering, meaning excess electricity can be pumped back and stored for later use," Erickson said. "It's clean, it's efficient, and every kilowatt I generate saves the power company from using pollutants to generate energy."
 
Kathy Belyeu of the American Wind Energy Association describes net metering as "banking electricity" so the individual can use it as needed.

"Wind is so intermittent," she said. "For example, if the wind generates more energy at night, net metering allows the individual to basically credit that energy and use it during the day."

Erickson said his plans are to camouflage the windmill by placing it within a group of trees and painting it a similar color to the trees.

"We have 21 big trees on our two lots," he said. "I want to put the windmill just above the tree canopy. You'd have to look hard to see it."

He said the windmill issue might seem peculiar, but to him it is very serious.

"We work hard all of our lives... people cut down trees to burn in their home, if someone can do that, why shouldn't I have the opportunity to use wind passing over the island?"

Associated Press
Wind power - both old and new - can be seen just west of Bowling Green. A telephoto lense creates the illusion that the old fashioned windmill at a nearby residence in the foreground is taller than the nearly 300-foot wind turbine and tower in the background. The wind turbine is one of two at the Wood County landfill that were placed in service in November.