By JIM MARTIN, Erie Times News (May 18, 2010) China's first offshore wind farm should be generating power within a month, while more than 800 windmills can be found spinning off the coast of Denmark. But for all the talk of renewable energy, there's not a single offshore wind farm in all of North America. State Rep. John Hornaman, of Millcreek Township, D-3rd Dist. thinks that could change soon and possibly in our backyard. Hornaman, with the support of Erie County's other state House members, has introduced a bill that would allow Pennsylvania to lease land beneath Lake Erie for the development of wind farms. A previous law allowed for up to 25 acres to be leased, but Hornaman said that's far too small to be practical when thousands of acres would likely be needed. The bill, introduced in March and passed unanimously by the state Government Committee, is based on more than an idea. Hornaman said he's spoken with more than one developer interested in developing wind farms on shallow ridges about seven and a half miles northwest of Presque Isle. According to one estimate, Hornaman said, Lake Erie-based wind farms have the potential within a decade to produce 3,000 to 4,000 megawatts, enough electricity to power about 850,000 homes. Lake Erie, the shallowest of the Great Lakes, is thought by many to be ideal for erecting windmills that would likely tower more than 300 feet above the water's surface. While no other wind farms are currently situated in U.S. waters, that's likely to change soon. On Monday, the Federal Aviation Administration ruled that 130 wind turbines proposed for the Cape Wind project in Nantucket Sound pose no threat to aircraft. Meanwhile, Hornaman said, both Ohio and New York have legislation under consideration that would allow for leasing land in Lake Erie. Hornaman said there's a lot to be learned, and the views of conservationists and others need to be heard at public hearings. None have signed off on anything, but Hornaman said a long list of environmental groups have been consulted and have indicated a willingness to consider the idea. Ed Kissell, vice president of S.O.N.S. of Lake Erie, an anglers group that promotes fishing in Lake Erie and Presque Isle Bay, said his group is open to studying the idea. "There is discussion on the habitat in that area as far as spawning areas of fish we would want to research," he said. Shippers on the Great Lakes are likely to have concerns of their own, but Glen Nekvasil, vice president of corporate communications for the Lake Carriers' Association, doesn't think those concerns are at odds with the developing wind farms. Nekvasil said care would need to be taken to allow for the six-mile-wide shipping lanes that allow ships to pass safely. "Just don't put them (windmills) at the entrance to a harbor," he said. "The lakes are pretty big. We ought be able to find places that the windmills don't interfere with shipping." Paul Burroughs, conservation chairman for the Presque Isle Audubon Society, said he's concerned that the legislation offers no protection for migratory birds. "I felt it (the legislation) was deficient that it didn't require the developer to undertake any studies to determine what the effects would be," he said. "Without some rational placement of wind turbines, it could be very detrimental." Hornaman, however, points to the benefits, including jobs to build and maintain the wind farms and potential business for Lawrence Park Township-based GE Transportation, which builds wind turbine gear boxes. Hornaman said the benefits could be substantial. "I am hopeful that this is the start of something big," he said.