I'm not sure how this slipped under the radar, but on Tuesday, the Cape Wind project in Nantucket Sound cleared its final hurdle -- the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement (BOEMRE) approved a Construction and Operations Plan (COP) submitted by Cape Wind Associates back in October of 2010. Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar traveled to Boston to make the announcement.
. The completed wind farm will look a lot like this:
(Nysted Offshore Windpark, Denmark)
NOTE: This is not a likely view from shore - they will be tiny distant specks if not completely hidden over the horizon. (h/t Chrisfs)
The timeframe in the COP for Cape Wind indicates that construction could begin as early as the fall.
Excerpt from the Department of the Interior's press release regarding the BOEMRE approval:
“The Department has taken extraordinary steps to fully evaluate Cape Wind’s potential impacts on environmental and cultural resources of Nantucket Sound,” said Secretary Salazar. “By signing the Construction and Operations Plan today, we are even closer towards ushering in our Nation’s first offshore wind energy facility while creating jobs.”
“After a thorough review of environmental impacts, we are confident that this offshore commercial wind project – the first in the nation – can move forward. This will accelerate interest in the renewable energy sector generally and the offshore wind sector specifically, and spur innovation and investment in our nation’s energy infrastructure,” said BOEMRE Director Michael R. Bromwich.
"With today's announcement by Secretary Salazar, we are one step closer to benefiting from the clean energy, green jobs and long-term economic benefits that will result from creating the nation's first offshore wind farm," said Governor Deval Patrick. "States up and down the East Coast are now looking to Massachusetts with envy as we launch this brand new American industry." ?
full press release here:
http://www.doi.gov/...
The Cape Wind Project's website is here:
http://www.capewind.org/
BOEMRE website on Cape Wind:
http://www.boemre.gov/...
Handy-dandy Cape Wind Facts (from BOEMRE):
The project consists of 130, 3.6 megawatt wind turbine generators covering approximately 25 square miles in federal waters offshore Massachusetts with the maximum capacity to produce about 468 megawatts. The average expected production from the wind facility could provide about 75 percent of the electricity demand for Cape Cod and the Islands of Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket. At average expected production, Cape Wind could produce enough energy to power more than 200,000 homes in Massachusetts.