An “indefinite suspension.”

By Sherri Lange December 16 2023

AN UPDATE ON THE SHUTDOWN OF LEEDCO/ICEBREAKER, A SIX TURBINE OFFSHORE PROPOSAL THAT GRABBED PROMOTIONAL FUNDS IN THE MILLIONS, ONLY TO FACE INCOMPLETE TIMELINES, AND RETURN OF 37 MILLION

“It’s disappointing but not surprising to learn that Icebreaker has been suspended, said Greg Nemet, a University of Wisconsin public affairs professor who tracks renewable energy projects.

The first of anything, which Icebreaker would have been, is more difficult to achieve, he said, plus current economic conditions have become a drag, even causing a couple of proposed wind farms along the Atlantic Coast to be cancelled.”

The blush is off the rose: or was there ever a “rose”?

Hard to smell a rose, when basic tenets of reasonable discovery, objective environmental review, regarding such a serious potential or “inevitable” environmental disaster, are missing in action. (Lange)

In answer to a question from some of our readers: this project is DEAD. Make no mistake, it is terminal. If the proponents and supporters wish to use words like, “temporary,” on hold, it is merely wishful thinking. We wanted to show the wistfulness of some of the ennui, as reported in the media, with the final and conclusive departure of this hideous project.

Take Away Points:

• You can pepper the Great Lakes or the entire planet with wind turbines, and there will be zero impact on the climate
• 50 million promised with completion of target objectives; not met, 37 million being returned to DOE
• Opposition is in the millions, not merely electrical unions, Audubon, Sierra, Cleveland hopefuls including Marcy Kaptur, author of the term, Saudi Arabia of Wind
• Independent Environmental Studies still lacking after 14 years: a disaster in the making
• A failure of LEEDCo, now ICEBREAKER, in 2014; a resurrection of “pathos” and STILL incomplete assessments; yes, for recent years, it looked like a lesson in pathos (Permit denied by then Chair Todd Snitchler)
• Is it HUBRIS then? The pride of false messages and unsubstantiated environmental ideas, hinged on corruption of climate fear mongering; the arrogance of never providing an EIS Environmental Impact Statement)

The media reports are confusing: They describe the Icebreaker six turbines offshore of Cleveland project as “temporarily” suspended, halted, or otherwise described as, on “ice.” Some reported variously, with varying degrees of wistfulness, sadness even, or lingering hope, for newer resurrections of the now “dead” Icebreaker. Someone will come to industrial the Lakes say several. It will happen, just a matter of time. The Climate, you know.

Inside Climate News reported on a sorry little history of high hopes dashed, and “don’t know where this will go from here,” kind of conclusion.

But it is certain, that THIS project, this Icebreaker in its mutations and errors and omissions, is terminally concluded. The return of $37 million (thirty-seven million dollars) is not trivial and a testament to missed deadlines, and worthy of further reflection on leadership woes, and certainly uninformed objectives.

A HIGH STAKES FIGHT TO THE FINSH

Lawsuits lined up, public dissention in high gear, even internationally; this was a proposal fraught with anxiety, tension, and facts flying in the face of rosy predictions of the Lakes becoming the “Saudi Arabia” of wind development. The documentation of objections would paper around the world in length and content.

The fight for the preservation of the Great Lakes was not new to many opponents. Albright and Isselhard and Marks, leaders in the fight against the GLOW (NYS, Great Lakes Offshore Wind) proposal, defeated for reasons of cost primarily, and environmental unknowns; Galloo Island saved by an active eagle nest; Lighthouse Wind (onshore but nearly IN the Lakes) expertly outmaneuvered by John Riggi and Save Our Shores’ Pam Atwater; and not to forget Ontario’s Offshore Moratorium, 2011 (Lange et al), protecting on Canada’s side, four of the five Great Lakes. (Fought with vigor by many along the Lakes, with laser precision and culminating moratorium results, at the Toronto Bluffs.)  This two sentence “snapshot” might enlighten you that the fight for the Lakes has been ongoing and long, and will not yet be over, as many in the recent media reporting on Icebreaker, can confirm. (Evans NY continues to work with Senator George Borrello (Sharen Trembath and team),  to enact moratoria, and preserve that end of Lake Erie.) As you can see, there is not a dull moment in the Preservation of the Great Lakes.

At Cleveland in the heart of business and culture, Tom Sullivan, and David Strang, John Lipaj of the Lake Erie Foundation, created another “persistent pugnaciousness,” against the project, as the French submarine corps of WW II, would call it.

These are historic fights: when you analyse the possible outcomes. Water pollution, inevitable. Fish and wildlife of all descriptions, desecrated, slaughtered, endangered species under even more threats from habitat losses, migratory paths compromised: economics? Let’s recall Warren Buffet, who knows the only reason to support wind development, is for the subsidies. Testing the economic potential” of wind in Lake Erie, is an oxymoron. (Previously reported in Master Resource.)

We might emphasize the high risks economic and environmental gambits of legislators, policy makers, and developers in this rush to pollute the Great Lakes with oil bearing Wind Turbines.  (No pun intended.) For many, the permitting, and lack of oversight was astonishing and alarming. This was, after all, a developer who repeated that the birds and bats do not fly over the Lake. Head scratch.

What are the missing links and foibles, too many to mention?

Impossible to test migratory impacts, including insect life, facile and manufactured paid for  studies (Western EcoSystems) on potential impacts, no free ride on economics, because that’s a bust for sure, tourism impact studies; also missing some features below:

• FAA rubber stamps; Great Lakes Wind Truth sent an 88 page objection, never responded to (this is not published anywhere at this time, but we have a copy; it was prepared and sent just hours before a deadline)
• Lies re birds and bats: developer attested repeatedly that bats and birds do not fly over the Lake
• Laundry list never completed and here: (Former Chair of OPSB, Todd Snitchler)
• Saudi Arabia…. thousands of turbines promised; this was no single one off demonstration project!
• DESIGN morphed to mono bucket, but that was a crushing disaster in North Sea; never heard about a newer design
• Lies to trades, re job promises (Block Island had about 300 temporary construction jobs and six permanent jobs) “The Block Island Wind Farm has experienced multiple issues, causing it to fail to perform on some occasions. Problems include turbine stress fatigue on four of the five turbines and erosion exposing the underwater cables that took the power to the mainland. The combination of the issues resulted in extensive shutdowns in the summer of 2021 for repairs and safety inspections. The turbines were offline for months.” Our note: add another 100 million or so for the technical difficulties involving sea cables that floated to the surface.
• Lies re climate remediation: it’s always about saving the planet. As many repeatedly indicated, Icebreaker has zero to do with climate. Zero. Nor does the previously anticipated gold rush of thousands of wind turbines in the Great Lakes.

The media reports, as noted, that supporters of Icebreaker have lingering hopes that the project may morph, another developer suddenly appear. The media of all kinds, have failed to mention thundering opposition from  “conflict free” Lake Erie Foundation Cleveland, Save Our Beautiful Lake, Great Lakes Wind Truth bi national organization, No Lake Erie Wind Farm…Add in: Letters of opposition from Spain, UK, Slovenia, France, Canada, and the august Dr Scott Petrie of Delta Waterfowl, or Keith Stelling, or HMANA (Hawk Migration Association of North America).  To mention only a few. Hundreds of groups from North America, representing millions.

These levels of opposition have stood unwavering over 14 years of close observation of the proposal. Not likely to disappear shortly.

Media Misrepresentation

We should mention the media attempts to link this opposition (loosely, as there is zero proof) to in one case, “dark money,” or persons conflicted with fossil fuel interests. From our point of view, linking Sam Randazzo, then Chair of OPSB (Ohio Power Siting Board), with his current woes, to decisions made on Icebreaker is a political play, and grossly incorrect: it is our view, and that of many, that Randazzo in this instance, acted fairly, and rationally, requiring turn offs of said proposed turbines to avoid catastrophic migratory impacts.  Let’s separate the issues; for the sake of common sense.  This requirement is now generally seen as fairly routine. (In the end, Mr. Randazzo voted to remove that prohibitive “poison pill,” the nighttime shutdown.) Nor does the passage of HB 6, contaminate the progress or lack thereof, of Icebreaker. (HB 6 is an ENERGY bill, related to improving the economic viability and reliability of energy policy in Ohio. Far from tainting the efforts to make energy more efficient, cleaner, more long term meaningful, it did the opposite. It does not “tip the scales” in favor of fossil fuel interests, although at the time, it was seen as such. It was really a preservation of responsible, reliable sourcing. The wind does not always blow: the sun not always shine. In fact, these two boondoggles (wind and solar) are high on the list of bad, really bad, in every way, pseudo sources. Entirely subsidy driven. People are now recognizing the foresight in the passage of HB6. It’s as if the authors of the Bill foresaw the nonsense of carbon neutral, and net zero, long before those catch phrases accrued actual harm, and even more energy disarray.)

That aside:

Icebreaker has been quite the flower bed of optimism, falsely placed; now Icebreaker faces the somewhat predictable lack of financial and environmental viability, no matter which way you slice it.

It hasn’t been a sudden demise, but one could call it a slippery slope, and to many watchers, inevitable. One very visible delay was from ABC and BSBO, a joint suit claiming complete dereliction of duty regarding environmental reviews.

A very large fly in the ointment, ABC and BSBO (American Bird Conservancy and Black Swamp Bird Observatory):

Cleveland dot com reports:

Two bird conservation groups sued the Energy Department and Army Corps of Engineers in an attempt to stop the development of a Lake Erie wind turbine farm about eight miles off the coast of Cleveland named “Icebreaker.”

The American Bird Conservancy of Washington, D.C. and the Black Swamp Bird Observatory in Ohio said in a lawsuit that the evaluations of the project by both agencies flies in the face of the National Environmental Policy Act and the Clean Water Act.

Our Note: This suit in our view, with the suit of Bratenahl residents, substantially  delayed any progress the Icebreaker proposal could make, and promoted the proponents’ continued floundering (searching for purchasers of the “electricity,”  leadership, as well as international input), and financial ennui. But who knows the backstory: of perhaps lack of leadership, reasons for the Norwegian wind developer’s withdrawal, and persistent local “floundering.”

It really is hard to imagine: a demonstration project with the implications of massive environmental harm, missing checks and balances from all levels of approvals, and NO independent environmental impact study. Imagine, Lorry Wagner pointing out that Michael Parr of ABC (American Bird Conservancy) had indicated repeatedly, that there were NO wind turbine bird studies, analyses of any worth, anywhere! Imagine the shock for Mr. Wagner. Of course, Mr Parr called it, right on the nose.

Shock and Disappointment

Some are obviously disappointed.

“It’s disappointing but not surprising to learn that Icebreaker has been suspended, said Greg Nemet, a University of Wisconsin public affairs professor who tracks renewable energy projects.

The first of anything, which Icebreaker would have been, is more difficult to achieve, he said, plus current economic conditions have become a drag, even causing a couple of proposed wind farms along the Atlantic Coast to be cancelled.”

Repeats LEEDCo Chairman Ronn Richard:

“I am disappointed by this pause on Icebreaker, but I believe that there will be a significant number of offshore wind turbines in the Great Lakes in my lifetime. Climate change will necessitate it.” (Our emphasis)

The “first” of anything of this nature, or anything, should be viable, safe, and ‘textbook’ safeguarding of sacred water and wildlife.

Others sigh with a nod, because they know intrinsically, there can be no turbines in the Great Lakes. They will continue to fight any and all industrialization. Six turbines or 1,000, the “weather” will continue to do what it does. The objectors, a large furl of legitimate and non conflicted persons, agencies, further reflect on the obvious chill this LEEDCo, Icebreaker “retreat” will have on “offshore dreams” along the Atlantic Coast.