January 12, 2008
Massachusetts
Massachusetts
A long-anticipated draft environmental report on the Cape Wind project from the Minerals Management Service will be released Monday, sources said yesterday.
The report’s contents should indicate whether the federal agency believes Nantucket Sound is an appropriate site for the 130-turbine wind farm.
Minerals Management Service – a division of the U.S. Department of the Interior – is the lead federal agency responsible for review of the project Boston-based Cape Wind Associates LLC proposed in 2001.
If built, the turbines’ blades would rise 440 feet above the water. Cape Wind expects it could generate an average of 170 megawatts of energy, equal to about 75 percent of Cape Cod’s energy demand.
A public comment period will follow release of Minerals Management Service’s draft environmental impact statement. A final version could be out by year’s end.
The final report is one of the last regulatory hurdles the project faces before permits can be issued.
Cape Wind’s opponents argue that Nantucket Sound is an inappropriate location for a wind farm. Foes of the project have pushed issues that include wildlife, shipping safety, financial viability and aesthetics.
By Patrick Cassidy
12 January 2008
URL to article: https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2008/01/12/federal-wind-farm-report-expected-monday/