Originally published April 21 2005
The Nantucket Sound wind farm receives praise from the Department of Energy
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
The Department of Energy sent a letter to the US Army Corps of Engineers indirectly lauding the proposed Nantucket Sound wind farm as a step forward for the United States' wind energy industry. This is the first praise for the proposed, off-shore wind farm to be placed in Nantucket Sound. The proposed wind farm would consist of 130 wind turbines producing up to 170 megawatts of power every hour. However, this project, which would be the nation's first off-shore wind power project, has received a lot of criticism for its potential impact on birds, ocean life, and the general aesthetics of the area.
By KEVIN DENNEHY STAFF WRITER The U.S. Department of Energy has praised the proposed Nantucket Sound wind farm as an important first step, and perhaps the foundation, of a more focused American wind energy industry.
In a letter sent March 31 to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers - the principal reviewer of the ambitious Cape Wind plan - an energy official predicts the local review process will provide helpful guidance in future wind energy development.
David K. Garman, assistant secretary to the office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, suggests the project responds to federal policy that makes alternative energy a priority.
Though the two-page letter provides little comment on the Cape Wind plan specifically, it represents perhaps the most resounding endorsement yet from a federal agency for this project.
The Cape Wind plan, which would place 130 wind turbines in the shallow waters of Nantucket Sound, would be the nation's first offshore wind farm.
"We commend the vision, leadership and action by all parties to this project," Garman wrote, "and their efforts to move our nation towards a sustainable energy future."
Many others applaud the Cape Wind proposal as a chance to provide renewable energy on a large scale, though critics say Nantucket Sound is not the right place for reasons environmental, fiscal and aesthetic.
A final decision rests with the New England district of the Army Corps, which is now reviewing more than 5,000 comments on the project, including input from thousands of public citizens and reports from numerous federal and state agencies.
In his letter Garman, the department's third-ranking official, wrote: "With over 900 gigawatts of potential wind power located in offshore areas adjacent to major demand load centers, we must work together to tap this resource in a responsible manner."
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