A study has indicated that it will cost $77 million to $92 million to build several turbines and a nearby wind research center to be run by Case Western Reserve University. 

The study, commissioned last year by the Great Lakes Energy Task Force, was conducted over the course of a year.

Cost estimates for the turbines ranged from $91.4 million to erect eight turbines generating 2.5 megawatts of power each, to $77.2 million for three larger turbines that would produce five megawatts each.

As per the information available, the task force paid a team led by juwi GmbH, a German company, $1 million to study the technical, environmental, regulatory and financial issues in erecting a turbine demonstration project, along with affiliated centers to research, test and certify components for the offshore wind industry. 

“The study confirms it’s technically feasible, even if the lake freezes over,” said Ralf Krueger, chief executive of juwi’s American company.

The year-long feasibility study recommended the pilot project to be built just east of Cleveland’s water intake crib, three miles north of shore. The location was chosen because it’s highly visible while also meeting other requirements of the project, which is intended to be a pilot for larger offshore wind farms that could be built in the lake in the future.