State regulators want to study what it would take to implant giant wind turbines in Lake Michigan and Lake Superior, a move that might someday lead to new power for Wisconsin but cost millions of dollars and transform serene lake views. The three-member Public Service Commission voted unanimously Thursday to begin assessing whether the concept can be executed, the power it could generate, the costs and public sentiment. "There's enough unanswered questions that it's a matter of public policy. We should explore it," said Eric Callisto, commission Chairman Dan Ebert's executive assistant. "The economics have to dictate this makes sense. But right now we're in something of an information vacuum."

State regulators want to study what it would take to implant giant wind turbines in Lake Michigan and Lake Superior, a move that might someday lead to new power for Wisconsin but cost millions of dollars and transform serene lake views.

The three-member Public Service Commission voted unanimously Thursday to begin assessing whether the concept can be executed, the power it could generate, the costs and public sentiment.

"There's enough unanswered questions that it's a matter of public policy. We should explore it," said Eric Callisto, commission Chairman Dan Ebert's executive assistant. "The economics have to dictate this makes sense. But right now we're in something of an information vacuum."

Gov. Jim Doyle's global warming task force recommended the commission, the state Department of Natural Resources and the Board of Commissioners of Public Lands convene a study group on offshore generation in Lake Superior and Lake Michigan. The task force said Wisconsin doesn't have the same wind quality as western states and should at least examine offshore prospects.

The study group should explore costs, issues related to lake bed development and impact on birds, the task force recommended. The group also should explore a partnership with the state of Michigan in offshore efforts. Callisto said the PSC hopes to complete the study by the end of the year.

Energy experts hail wind power as a cheap, clean renewable energy source. Land-based wind power is a growing industry in Wisconsin and across the country.

Experts say offshore turbines could generate more power. Winds over water are typically stronger and steadier than over land. Drawbacks include multimillion dollar pricetags and the potential for rows of windmills marring views.

Germany, Ireland and Denmark have developed offshore wind farms but none exist in the United States. Proposals for wind farms off Cape Cod, Long Island and Galveston, Texas, have been tied up in debate, said George Douglas, a spokesman for the National Renewable Energy Laboratory.

Charlie Higley, executive director of the Wisconsin Citizens Utility Board, a ratepayer advocacy group, said he likes the idea of wind turbines off Wisconsin's shores.

They could add up to 10,000 megawatts to the state's power grid, lead to cheaper electric rates because utilities don't have to buy fuel and produce energy more cleanly than coal or natural gas plants, he said.

"They've done this successfully in Europe," Higley said. "It'll be less expensive in the long run. With offshore, you get more wind and more steady wind and you can build larger turbines that can capture more of that energy."

Kevin Crawford, mayor of Manitowoc on Lake Michigan, thinks wind turbines can be located far enough offshore so they don't ruin the view or fishing trips.

"I'd be very comfortable with the idea," Crawford said. "We know that renewables are a very important part of our future if our children are to have grandchildren."

Ed Monroe, mayor of Ashland, which lies on Lake Superior's shores at Wisconsin's northern tip, said a better plan would be to build windmills on the city's unused docks.

"I would not like to see them spring up the way they do with (offshore) oil platforms," he said. "There might be some spots where it would be perfectly suitable. There are others where it would ruin the view that you had and the whole reason you like being on the lake."

It doesn't look like folks in Manitowoc, Ashland or anywhere else have to worry about gazing out their windows at windmills stretching across the water anytime soon. Wisconsin's utilities aren't seriously considering getting into the offshore business.

Charlie Severance is the general manager of wholesale and renewable energy for Wisconsin Public Service Corp., which supplies energy for much of Wisconsin's northern Lake Michigan shoreline. He said the utility has considered going offshore and supports the PSC study, but construction looks too expensive right now.

"The economics of it make it a nonstarter," Severance said.

We Energies, which serves much of southeastern Wisconsin, including Milwaukee, is focused on land wind power because it's more cost-effective than offshore ventures, spokeswoman Irissol Arce said.

"There are just so many unknown factors," she said.

Dave Donovan, manager of regulatory policy for Xcel Energy, which serves much of the Lake Superior shoreline, said his utility hasn't considered offshore, either. He agreed such a venture would be costly, but the study would help quantify wind speeds and consistency.

"We don't know the potential out there," he said.

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