It was a heated discussion that often seemed to follow the well-drawn battle lines of young versus old, the new versus the tried-and-true.

No, it wasn't the American Music Awards - it was a proposal to put a test wind turbine in Lake Ontario.

Hundreds of Scarborough residents, Toronto Hydro employees and members of the Toronto Environmental Alliance (TEA) came out to a community meeting Monday night to respond to the plan.

It's going to see if there's enough wind in the area to make the project feasible.

If it is, we could soon see 60 100-foot tall structures about two kilometres out from the shore from Ajax to the Leslie Split (seen above in an artist's rendering).

Though the meeting at Sir Wilfred Laurier Collegiate was well-behaved, emotions ran high.

"We have waited long enough for this project to happen. We have an opportunity here to start finally taking action...Consider the future of my generation!" a young woman pleaded.

She was met with loud applause.

Proponents claim that once it's built, the towers would be emission-free and could power 50,000 homes a year.

"Once the turbine is installed, there is no fuel cost," promised Joyce Mclean, Director Strategic Issues, Toronto Hydro.

"Look at this beautiful view. Why would we spoil that," countered Beaches resident Angela Cashell as she walked along the shorefront.

Premier Dalton McGuinty has one reason why:

"We need to raise our level of acceptance for those kinds of structures which are harnessing clean sources of renewable energy. I think we need to open up our minds," he outlined.

"We need to act quickly to curb global warming and reduce smog," pointed out Franz Hartmann Executive Director, TEA, at the meeting Monday.

"That's why Toronto Hydro must have the right to install an anemometer to determine whether the right conditions exist in Lake Ontario."

However, opponents say it will be an eyesore, hurt migratory birds and contribute to the erosion of the bluffs.

Ron Buchholz, a Beaches resident, illustrated another concern.

"I think it is money not well spent. I think it will cost a lot of money. I think we'll end up paying for it."

In an email to CityNews, another resident said the meeting was anything but neighbourhood-based.

"Special-interest groups from all over [and] a hundred-plus Toronto Hydro employees, were bussed in to stone-wall the "community" meeting," wrote Joe Trentadue.

"All in all, it was not a "community event" and a disgrace to Toronto Hydro for manipulating what started out to be an information event for the community.  Many community members, I for one, left early with disgust, at the brow-beating antics of the over-staged Toronto Hydro personnel and their obvious supporters," he concluded.

See the Toronto Hydro proposal

Toronto Environmental Alliance 'Facts And Myths' on wind turbines

See the opposition's reasons