Monday, February 18, 2008

Cape Wind gathers force

By Bridget Botelho

The Cape Wind project recently passed a major milestone on its path to place a wind turbine farm in the waters of Nantucket Sound, and the program's backers say they can see a break in the storm clouds. Opponents, however, plan to continue the fight to keep the massive project out of the waters south of Cape Cod.

On Jan. 14 a Draft Environmental Impact Statement from the lead federal permitting agency showed that the wind turbines proposed by Cape Wind Associates LLC would not have a significant negative impact on wildlife, navigation or tourism.

With the new impact report, released by the Minerals Management Service of the U.S. Department of Interior, Cape Wind expects the U.S. federal government to approve construction of the 130-wind turbine park in federal waters 4.7 miles offshore

Cape Cod. It would be the first of its kind in the United States.

"It's been a long road, but we think 2008 will be the year," said Mark Rodgers, spokesman for Cape Wind Associates. "If all goes as planned, we would hope to begin construction in 2010, and the turbines could be up and running by 2011."

Since Cape Wind was proposed in 2001, there have been numerous concerns about the project. Some of those worries were put to rest after the 2,000-page study came out last month, but other concerns are still up for debate.

Environmentalist Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has opposed the project partly because of potential navigation issues through Nantucket Sound and what he and other opponents describe as aesthetic problems. The turbines will extend more than 400 feet above the water and be visible for up to 26 miles, seen by residents and tourists on Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket, Kennedy has stated.

The turbines are feared to have a negative impact on the fishing industry as well. The Gloucester-based Massachusetts Fishermen's Partnership, representing 18 commercial fishing organizations and more than 3,000 fishermen, consider the wind turbines a threat to their safety, their fishing grounds, and thus, their livelihood.

In October, the Cape Cod Commission, which is charged with protecting Cape Cod's natural resources, denied the project a permit. The Cape Cod Commission has not yet reviewed the latest impact statement and had no comment on it, said Nancy Hossfeld, communications coordinator for the group.

Glenn Wattley, CEO of Hyannis-based Save our Sound, which opposes the project because of its potential impact on Nantucket Sound, said the latest report omitted statements from the Coast Guard, the Federal Aviation Administration, and others.

"We are surprised and disappointed with the report. Looking at it, we believe there are serious gaps, which we will address in public hearings and statements," Wattley said. "We have 40 different consultants and experts working to fill in the missing information."

Wattley said Cape Wind's claims that the wind turbines can reduce electricity rates are also debatable, pointing to a section in the impact statement that states the wind turbines will produce electricity at two to three times current wholesale prices in the area.

"The economic viability of this project is in question. The turbines are not going to lower our electricity bills the way Cape Wind has promised they would, and a lot of people are upset about that," Wattley said.

Potential issues aside, the cost and availability of power are mounting concerns that wind turbine technology can alleviate. The Cape Cod Technology Council supports the use of wind-turbine technologies to harvest renewable energy sources, because it can help offset power issues plaguing the region, said Teresa Martin, CEO of the council. "Power and renewables are very important to our economy. You can't do business if you don't have power, and we have a lot of brownouts on the Cape, so power is always a concern here," Martin said.

The promises of the Cape Wind Project are immense. It would produce as much power in a year from the wind on Horseshoe Shoal in Nantucket Sound as a power plant would from burning 113 million gallons of oil, Cape Cod Associates contends.

"Fuel costs make up the bulk of your energy costs today. Having this source of energy can start to bring some long-term predictability to energy costs and stabilize our energy sources," Rodgers said.

Cape Wind is also expected to reduce regional emissions of carbon dioxide, the greenhouse gas that causes climate change, by 880,000 tons per year. It will also reduce regional air pollution emissions like sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide that are known to be harmful to human health, the impact statement asserted.

The new impact statement comes three years after the former federal lead reviewing agency, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, issued their comprehensive review of Cape Wind that found significant public benefits and few negative impacts. In 2005, the Massachusetts Energy Facilities Siting Board approved Cape Wind's application after a 33-month review, finding that the project would provide needed power, reduce energy costs by $25 million per year and provide significant air-quality benefits for New England.

The project still needs to be financed, which hinges on permits. Rodgers said that once all the permits are in place, Cape Wind Associates can begin to seek project financing through private investors.

The public and interested stakeholders are encouraged to participate in the 60-day public comment period by sending written comments to the Minerals Management Service and by speaking at four public hearings in March.

Bridget Botelho is a freelance writer in North Providence, R.I.