Wind turbines could blow into Lake Michigan steel mills

BY KEITH BENMAN, Times of Northwest Indiana
kbenman@nwitimes.com

The Lake Michigan shoreline in Northwest Indiana has some of the state's highest average wind speeds, which could make it an efficient producer of wind-generated electricity.

Both U.S. Steel Corp. and ArcelorMittal, two of the largest landholders on the lake, have confirmed they are actively exploring the potential for using wind power at their steel-making facilities.

U.S. Steel Corp. is in "the very early stages" of investigating the possibility of using wind energy at its sprawling Gary Works, but it is too early to discuss any details, spokesman John Armstrong said this week.

Last year, ArcelorMittal erected meteorological testing towers at its East Chicago facility to study wind patterns. It wants to see if wind off the lake would support the production of electricity by wind turbines.

"We are still monitoring wind and meteorologic data at Indiana Harbor to determine the feasibility of wind towers at the site," ArcelorMittal spokesman David Allen said Wednesday.

Wind maps produced for the U.S. Department of Energy in 2004 showed the state's strongest, most consistent winds blow from off the lake and in an area stretching from Benton County to just northwest of Indianapolis.

The Hoosier Environmental Council would support the use of wind turbines to produce electricity at the steel mills, as long as natural resources are protected, Executive Director Jesse Kharbanda said.

Using renewable energy sources like wind for producing electricity is one way the steel industry can help cut greenhouse gas emissions, Kharbanda said.

"That seems like a smart move for them," he said.

ArcelorMittal and partner BQ Energy currently operate a wind farm of 10 turbines on a site the steel company owns in Lackawana, N.Y.

In Minnesota, 10 wind turbines spin on U.S. Steel property near its Minnatac facility in the northern part of the state. The turbines are owned by utility company Minnesota Power, which leases the land from U.S. Steel and delivers the power to its own customers.