Cape Wind, First U.S. Offshore Wind Farm, Building Plan Approved

[SpartanDem]

Source: Huffington Post

BOSTON -- A federal agency approved a construction and operations plan for the Cape Wind project off the Massachusetts coast, clearing the way for work to begin on America's first offshore wind farm as early as this fall, U.S. Interior Secretary Kenneth Salazar announced Tuesday.

Approval by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement was required before construction of the proposed 130-turbine wind farm in Nantucket Sound could get under way.

The secretary said the Cape Wind project, which has already received other state and federal permits, could create 600 to 1,000 jobs and that nationwide the wind power industry had the potential for tens of thousands of jobs.

"The wind potential off the Atlantic coast is staggering," but the vetting process for projects to tap it is too drawn out, Salazar said at a news conference in Boston.



Read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/04/19/cape-wind-first-us-offsho_n_851077.html

[ramapo]

1. Finally!

This was classic NIMBY-ism at its worst. The 'vetting' process was incredibly long and it is amazing the company stuck with it.

[valerief]

2. Fabulous! Non-toxic energy!!!! nt

[truthisfreedom]

3. NIMBY doesn't apply to wind turbines, in my estimation.

I find them elegant and uplifting.

[DCKit]

6. The wealthy on Cape Cod would disagree.

Otherwise, it'd be half-built already.

[kentauros]

9. Then tax the wealthy for the amount of power-generation lost.

See which option they go with after that ;)

[trud]

4. crap. Right in a migratory bird pathway. n/t

[karynnj]

5. There was a study on that - and it was determined that it was not a problem

[boppers]

7. How do you feel about banning cats as pets?

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/21/science/21birds.html?_r=1

[bananas]

8. Yay!

:applause:

[brendan120678]

10. I somehow knew, that when...

Senator Kennedy passed away, that this project would finally pick up some steam.

And I mean no disrespect to the late Senator, but he was a huge roadblock in letting this wind farm be built.
And while Senator Kennedy never claimed his opposition was because it would spoil the views, that was one of the objections that many others had.

[Vogon_Glory]

11. Speaking of Cape Wind Opposition, Let's Not Forget That

Speaking of the opposition to the Cape Wind project, let's not forget that other opponents included Republican Mitt Romney and Bill Koch (Yes, one of THOSE Kochs!)

I'm from Texas, and I usually drive from Austin to northern New Mexico and central Colorado at least once a year. I've seen the wind farms sprout up along I-20 near Sweetwater and north along US-84 past Snyder. Unlike the wind generators I've seen, the Cape Wind machines would be a LOT further away from Cape Cod beaches than the Texas wind generators are from the highway and appear a lot smaller from water's edge and the porches of the wealthy's second homes (And when it is foggy, the wind generators won't be visible at all!). I have scant sympathy to the wealthy NIMBYs of Martha's Vineyard who would oppose a project that would benefit energy-poor New England.

[One_Life_To_Give]

12. With three Pending Court Cases?

This should have been built long ago. But I am not ready to declare victory yet. The opposition still is citing three pending legal actions plus an Appeal at the EPA.
Opposition website www.saveoursound.org
Project Website www.capewind.org

[Marrah_G]

13. Great!

[Old Troop]

14. This delay is an example of why we keep failing to develop and field

alternative sources. We all want cheap energy, but we don't want it produced near us or near locations that we favor. Princeton, MA has had a small municipal wind farm for about 25 years and the windmills seem to enhance the landscape rather than mar it.