In June 2007, eight wind turbines began operation along the Lake Erie shoreline in Lackawanna, using steady breezes to generate enough clean energy to power 6,000 homes. The Steel Winds project stands out because it was built directly on the waterfront and became the first wind farm in the state located on an abandoned brownfield site. The 29 acre site had formerly been part of Bethlehem Steel and was contaminated with steel slag and industrial waste. An EPA grant helped the City of Lackawanna determine the extent of contamination, while existing transmission lines and roads made the location well suited for renewable energy production. Wind turbines were especially suitable because much of the construction could proceed without excavating contaminated soil. Cleanup work included regrading, removing solid waste and heavily contaminated soils, and vegetating the entire site. The project held a slag breaking ceremony on September 15, 2006, and the first of eight 400-foot turbines was erected in December 2006. Each turbine cost $4.25 million to build and can generate 2.5 megawatts of electricity. Built in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, the eight Clipper Liberty turbines can generate more than 50 million kilowatt hours of electricity each year without the pollution associated with traditional energy sources. The electricity is sold into the NYS Independent System Operator grid for distribution to retail customers, and additional turbines are planned for the future.