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Salazar OKs Cape Cod Wind Farm


Video courtesy of NECN

BOSTON — The Obama administration has approved what would be the nation's first offshore wind farm, off Cape Cod, inching the U.S. closer to harvesting an untapped domestic energy source — the steady breezes blowing along its vast coasts.

U.S. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar announced his decision Wednesday at the State House in Boston, clearing the way for a 130-turbine wind farm in Nantucket Sound. Cape Wind was in its ninth year of federal review, and Salazar stepped in early this year to bring what he called much-needed resolution to the bitterly contested proposal.

"We are beginning a new direction in our nation's energy future," Salazar said.

Your Opinion On Cape Wind:Market Research

Ian Bowles, Massachusetts secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs, told WBUR that the construction of the wind turbines would start sometime next year.

But members of the Aquinnah Wampanoag Tribe of Martha's Vineyard have vowed to sue to stop Cape Wind from being built, saying it would interfere with sacred rituals and desecrate tribal burial sites. Others opposed to the project on environmental grounds also have said they'll sue.

Audra Parker, president of the Alliance to Protect Nantucket Sound, told WBUR that Salazar's decision was based on politics, not concern for the environment or historical significance.

"The fight is far from over and will ultimately be settled in court based on facts, not on politics," Parker said.

Salazar said he understood those concerns but had to weigh them against the nation's need for new renewable sources of energy.

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"This is the final decision of the United States of America," he said. "We are very confident we will be able to uphold the decision against legal challenges."

Bowles too dismissed the prospects for those looking to sue to halt the project.

"Well, (with) due respect to the opponents of the project, we've had seven lawsuits on state-level decisions already and those are now pending at the state Supreme Court," Bowles said. "So unfortunately, I think litigation has already been the case and I don't expect major change."

Cape Wind says it can generate power by 2012 and aims to eventually supply three-quarters of the power on Cape Cod, which has about 225,000 residents. Cape Wind officials say it will provide green jobs and a reliable domestic energy source, while offshore wind advocates are hoping it can jump-start the U.S. industry.

America's onshore wind industry is the world's largest, but higher upfront costs, tougher technological challenges and environmental concerns have held back the development of offshore wind farms.

A map view of the proposed Cape Wind site (Jesse Costa/WBUR) (Click to enlarge)
A map view of the proposed Cape Wind site (Jesse Costa/WBUR) (Click to enlarge)

Denmark installed the world's first offshore wind turbine 20 years ago. China has built its first commercial wind farm off Shanghai and plans several other projects.

The U.S. Department of Energy envisions offshore wind farms accounting for 4 percent of the country's electric generating capacity by 2030.

Major U.S. proposals include a project in Texas state waters, but most are concentrated along the East Coast north of Maryland, including projects in Delaware and New Jersey.

Gov. Deval Patrick has been an enthusiastic backer of Cape Wind, pushing it as key to the state's efforts to increase its use of renewable energy. The lead federal agency reviewing the project, the Minerals Management Service, issued a report last year saying the project posed no major environmental problems.

Critics say the project endangers wildlife and air and sea traffic, while marring historic vistas. The late Sen. Edward Kennedy fought Cape Wind, calling it a special interest giveaway. The wind farm would be visible from the Kennedy family compound in Hyannisport.

Listen: Sec. Salazar On His Decisionhttp://audio.wbur.org/storage/2010/04/news_0428_salazar-cape-wind.mp3

Democrat U.S. Rep. William Delahunt, who represents Cape Cod, said allowing the project to move forward will open "a new chapter of legal battles and potential setbacks" for the wind power industry.

"Cape Wind is the first offshore wind farm to be built in the wrong place, in the wrong way, stimulating the wrong economies," Delahunt said Wednesday.

Listen: Gov. Patrick Lauds The Approvalhttp://audio.wbur.org/storage/2010/04/news_0428_patrick-cape-wind.mp3

Home to some of the best-known beaches in the Northeast, Cape Cod has long been a destination for summer vacations and is famous for its small towns and homes in its namesake architectural style.

The project is about five miles off Cape Cod at its closest proximity to land and 14 miles off Nantucket at the greatest distance. According to visual simulations done for Cape Wind, on a clear day the turbines would be about a half-inch tall on the horizon at the nearest point and appear as specks from Nantucket.

The developers are being required to configure the wind farm to reduce visual effects on the outer cape and Nantucket Island, Salazar said.

Opponents also said the power from the pricey Cape Wind project, estimated to cost at least $2 billion, would be too expensive.

Republican Sen. Scott Brown said the project will jeopardize tourism and affect aviation safety and the rights of the Native American tribes.

"Nantucket Sound is a national treasure that should be protected from industrialization." Brown said.

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