May 15 - Dayton Daily News

Ohio is taking gradual steps to try and take advantage of increased interest in energy production from renewable resources as the nation struggles with higher energy prices.

The Ohio Department of Development says that Juwi International, a German-owned firm that develops renewable energy resources including wind energy turbines, and a Spanish-controlled rival, Gamesa Energy USA, are investigating possible wind farm sites in the state.

Gamesa has been talking with landowners near Bellefontaine in Logan County about erecting test towers on their properties to measure the wind force over a period of months, said Tom Maves, renewable energy specialist with the state development department.

Gov. Bob Taft has proposed encouraging more wind power production by setting aside $25 million from the state's Energy Loan Fund over five years and would provide a grant of up to 1.2 cents per kilowatt-hour of electricity generated by wind. It is awaiting legislative approval, although two similar prior proposals have failed to gain approval of Ohio lawmakers, Maves said.

Ohio can build on the experiences of other states that have moved more quickly to encourage wind power development, he said.

The Great Lakes Science Center museum at Cleveland is installing a wind turbine for educational purposes, with the support of private companies. The turbine will take advantage of Lake Erie winds to generate as much as 7 percent of the museum's annual electricity needs, advocates said.

Maps of Ohio's prevailing wind currents show that wind turbines would generally appear to work best along the Lake Erie shore, but wildlife agencies have raised concerns that the turbine blades could threaten migrating birds, Maves said.

Duke Energy, which absorbed Cinergy Corp. in an April merger, agreed this month with Ohio's advocate for residential energy customers to make a renewable electricity option available to customers. If state regulators approve, residents and businesses served by Duke Energy could opt by this fall to pay additional amounts each month to buy electricity generated from renewable resources, Duke officials said.

The company will monitor acceptance by customers to determine whether to continue the program for the long run, Duke officials said.

-----

To see more of the Dayton Daily News, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.daytondailynews.com.

Copyright (c) 2006, Dayton Daily News, Ohio

Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News.