Lake Michigan wind farm touted for Southeast Side

A pair of state lawmakers touted a plan to create Chicago's first offshore wind farm on the Southeast Side at a meeting Wednesday night while residents peppered them with questions about how such a project benefits the community.

Sen. Robert Peters, who was joined by state Rep. Marcus Evans at the South Chicago Branch library, said he's pushing the idea for the wind farm because he believes it will help transform the economy of the Southeast Side, which is home to many polluting manufacturers and has never rebounded from the loss of steel jobs four decades ago. The plan, he said, would create hundreds of jobs and help the South Side reap the rewards of clean energy.

The legislation doesn't specifically guarantee a wind farm on the Southeast Side. Rather, it sets up a process that allows the state to seek federal dollars so it can provide tax credits to private developers who would bid on a project.

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Lake Michigan wind farm touted for Southeast Side

Residents have a number of concerns and questions about local job creation and other potential benefits to the community.

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