The Great Lakes Commission received the Larry Flowers Award for Outstanding Leadership in recognition of its efforts supporting the Great Lakes Wind Collaborative (GLWC). The award was received on behalf of the Great Lakes Commission by Victoria Pebbles at the Wind Powering America (WPA) All-States Summit on May 26, 2011, which took place following WINDPOWER 2011 in Anaheim, California.

The award was for the Commission’s “excellence in developing a new model of regional wind collaboration.”

“The Great Lakes Commission is pleased that the GLWC is recognized at the national level for addressing regional wind energy issues,” said Tim Eder, executive director of the Commission. “We look forward to its continued leadership in bringing diverse interests together in the Great Lakes region and working toward responsible, sustainable wind power.”

In its first four years, the Collaborative has worked on numerous wind energy topics including offshore wind, siting and permitting, economic development, transmission, and has developed a Great Lakes Wind Atlas. The group has conducted several public meetings and webinars to disseminate knowledge and gather input to help address the many wind energy issues in the Great Lakes region.

“With the rapid expansion of wind power in the Great Lakes, the Great Lakes Wind Collaborative stands out as one more example of how stakeholders within our binational region have joined together to insure that our renewal energy needs are balanced by our commitment to protect the Great Lakes basin ecosystem,” said Terry Yonker, co-chair of the GLWC Steering Committee.

Members of the Collaborative include representatives from a wide spectrum of interests throughout the Great Lakes region that collectively work to achieve the purpose of the group.

Mr. Flowers was an industry leader at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) for three decades. He served as the national technical director for the highly regarded Wind Powering America program. WPA is a nationwide initiative designed to increase the use of wind energy across the United States by working with regional stakeholders.

For immediate release: July 19, 2011
Contact: Victoria Pebbles, [email protected], office: 734-971-9135

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The Great Lakes Commission, chaired by James Tierney, assistant commissioner for water resources at the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, is an interstate compact agency established under state and U.S. federal law and dedicated to promoting a strong economy, healthy environment and high quality of life for the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence region and its residents. The Commission consists of governors’ appointees, state legislators, and agency officials from its eight member states. Associate membership for Ontario and Québec was established through the signing of a “Declaration of Partnership.” The Commission maintains a formal Observer program involving U.S. and Canadian federal agencies, tribal authorities, binational agencies and other regional interests. The Commission offices are located in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Learn more at www.glc.org.