The Lackawanna Planning Board [1] Wednesday voted to make the city the lead agency in any environmental review required for the expansion of the Steel Winds wind farm at the old Bethlehem Steel site.

Developers broke ground nine months ago on the $40 million wind-energy project, erecting eight turbines off Lake Erie, after agreeing to pay the city $100,000 annually over the next 15 years.

Clipper Windpower [2] is seeking to erect 13 additional windmills at the site.

By state law, renewable energy projects, like the Steel Winds, are tax exempt. The federal government also offers numerous tax incentives for such projects.

In neighboring Hamburg, officials have raised some concerns about the Steel Winds turbines and are working on a comprehensive ordinance that would set rules for the development of such projects.