BOWLING GREEN STATE UNIVERSITY

 
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U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur announces a $1 million grant for BGSU Firelands to study utilizing wind turbines to generate electricity.

The western Lake Erie shore near Huron could become a model for alternative energy sources, U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-9th District) told an audience at BGSU Firelands July 10. The congresswoman was on campus to announce a $1 million research grant from the U.S. Department of Energy for the Coastal Ohio Wind Project, a study to determine the type and placement of wind turbines at the college.

“BGSU, as the largest producer of teachers in Ohio, will help educate the public about new technologies and new possibilities,” she said. A proponent of fostering independence from foreign oil suppliers, Kaptur said the nation needs a balanced, long-term plan for energy production from a variety of sources, including wind.

Working with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Federal Aviation Administration, the study will look at area wind speeds and the turbines’ potential impact on birds, bats and local air traffic. Home to threatened species such as the piping plover, the area is in the migratory path of several species of songbirds and is the nesting site of once-endangered bald eagles. “There will be a lot of pre-construction assessment” for the height and location of the turbines on the 216-acre campus, Kaptur said. “We don’t want to destroy the eagles we’ve worked so hard to restore.”

BGSU’s Center for Regional Development will survey area residents to see what size and heights they feel are acceptable, Firelands Dean James Smith said. The potential impact on tourism will also be evaluated.
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