NEWS

Toledo, Ohio — A European wind developer will take the lead on building a wind farm project in Lake Erie that’s designed to show the potential for alternative energy along the Ohio shoreline.

Backers say the $120 million pilot project is expected to be up and running in 2018.

Lake Erie Energy Development Corp. announced Norwegian company Fred.Olsen Renewables will build the six wind turbines about seven to 10 miles from the edge of downtown Cleveland.

The deal brings an experienced developer to the project and gives it more credibility as they seek additional investors, said Lorry Wagner, president of the Lake Erie Energy Development group.

“Instead of them saying ‘Who are you?’ they’ll now say, ‘We know who you are,’ ” Wagner said.

Fred.Olsen Renewables has wind farms operating or in development in Sweden, Norway, Scotland and the United Kingdom. It’s also involved in building wind turbines off the coast of Rhode Island, the nation’s first off-shore wind farm.

The company, based in Oslo, Norway, has interest in the future of wind power throughout the Great Lakes region, Wagner said.