This isn't going to be a very long diary, because I just woke up and I'm not really "with it". But this is very important news. According to Boston.com, today is the day the United States finally joins the off shore wind community.
From the link:
U.S. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar will approve the 130-turbine wind farm in Nantucket Sound today, according to a source briefed on the decision this a.m.
Salazar’s announcement today -- nine years after Cape Wind began seeking permits for the project in the waters off Cape Cod and Martha's Vineyard -- could allow construction of the nation’s first offshore wind farm to begin within the year.
There have been various delays to the project. Two Wampanoag tribes complained that the turbines, which would stand more than 400 feet above the ocean surface, would disturb spiritual sun greetings and possibly ancestral artifacts and burial grounds on the seabed. There have also been numerous complaints from the citizens of the area, including the Kennedy family. But I am happy to see that Interior Secretary Salazar and the President have seen the untold benefits of moving forward with this project. The last week has been a roller coaster for supporters of renewable energy. This is very welcome news.
Thanks to A Siegel, here is a statement from Sierra Club executive director Michael Brune:
"Today's announcement is a huge victory for clean energy. Clean energy like offshore wind power will help create safe, sustainable jobs, and true energy independence. Projects like this one will help infuse new life into our economy and help make us a leader in the global clean energy marketplace.
"In the wake of the offshore oil drilling disaster in the Gulf of Mexico, it is more clear than ever that we need to move quickly to develop safe, responsible clean energy projects like Cape Wind instead of more offshore drilling. Large-scale clean energy projects like offshore wind are one of the best tools we have to wean ourselves from dirty and dangerous energy like oil and coal. Coupled with efficiency measures and smaller-scale renewable energy, projects like this one will create real energy independence.
"This project has undergone comprehensive and detailed environmental review and we are confident that it can be developed responsibly, with minimal impacts to the marine environment. The developer and the state government have worked tirelessly to ensure that this project is built in the most responsible location possible, and we applaud them for that.
"Cape Wind is an example of an outstanding project and we hope to see more like it. Numerous other projects, billions in investments, and thousands of jobs have effectively been on hold pending this important decision, so we also hope that this project will set the stage for streamlined and thorough review of future offshore wind projects."
And here's the official announcement from the Interior Department.
Cape Wind Project