Many people have been commenting lately on the wind farm along the lakeshore in Lackawanna. But it's not because the giant windmills are spinning in the breeze.

In fact, the windmills have been practically idle for many weeks. The wind farm, called "Steel Winds" is on the former Bethlehem Steel site. At full capacity, it's supposed to generate enough power for 6,000 homes.

We asked the manufacturer, Clipper Windpower, what's happening with the eight wind turbines, and why they're not working. It seems there's a problem with the gear boxes and all of them will have to be replaced.

Locating windmills along the NYS Thruway corridor would alleviate many of the issues put forth by citizens who would be affected by wind power development. It seems now that the rural folks are the ones beinging targeted. The Thruway location would not discriminate between rural and urban areas. Transmission lines from the turbines would be directed along an already developed pathway. Noise issues would be eliminated.

The first wind farm along the Lake Erie shoreline is beginning to take shape.

Officials gathered on the former Bethlehem Steel property in Lackawanna on Friday morning to break ground on the construction of eight wind-generated turbines that have to potential to produce 20 megawatts of power. The 20 megawatts is enough to provide energy needs for 6,000 homes in the immediate Buffalo Niagara region.