Cape Cod Wind Farm Tiptoes Ahead
http://online.wsj.com/article/
By JENNIFER LEVITZ
BARNSTABLE, Mass.—Philip Scudder said his ferry company here was once a vocal opponent of the alternative-energy proposal that blew into Cape Cod nearly a decade ago. The U.S.'s first offshore wind farm? In the middle of pristine Nantucket Sound? He wondered how his boats carrying vacationers bound for Martha's Vineyard would navigate around the turbines.
Matthew Healey for The Wall Street Journal
Randolph Bolton is shown Thursday with a tube of sediment from the sea floor collected as part of survey work for the Cape Wind project.
But now, Mr. Scudder, a 13th generation Cape Codder and part of the family that owns Hy-Line Cruises, supports Cape Wind, the proposal to place 130 wind turbines, with the highest blade tip reaching 440 feet above water, some five miles offshore. He says it would bring not only clean energy but economic opportunity: Hy-Line is now shopping for vessels to eventually give "eco-tours," educational boat rides out to see the turbines up close.
Mr. Scudder illustrates the conflicting views on the long-debated project in an area known as the jewel of Massachusetts and a vacation land for the affluent. After a decade, Cape Wind developer Energy Management Inc. is beginning geological survey work in the sound, a precursor to its goal of starting construction next year.
But whether the wind farm is built remains to be seen. Cape Wind has yet to receive all the approvals it needs to start construction. Opposition is firm and has included wealthy Cape Cod homeowners from the late Sen. Edward Kennedy to Republican donor and energy businessman William Koch.
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The Obama administration is pushing for more renewable-energy projects, both on and offshore. This week, the Interior Department said it was assessing a proposal by the North American arm of StatoilSTO -0.35% ASA, a Norwegian energy company, for a wind farm off the coast of Maine.
The Interior Department approved Cape Wind in 2010. The project calls for the off-white wind turbines in a 25-square-mile area in a shallow part of the sound, a triangular body of water surrounded by Cape Cod, Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard. The closest vantage point would be nearly five miles away in Mashpee, next to Barnstable.
The turbines are "majestic and beautiful," and on a clear day would appear "like a half-inch sailing mast on the horizon," said Jim Gordon, the president of Energy Management, Cape Wind's developer.
Opponents are skeptical.
"I'm just not buying it," says Barnstable Town Manager Thomas Lynch, who worries about public-safety costs to the town if there were a problem at the wind farm.
The project is estimated to cost $2 billion. Energy Management said it has spent $50 million developing it and is working with Barclays PLC to secure private funding. The wind farm is expected to produce as much as 468 megawatts of renewable energy, which is about 3.5% of the 13,300-megawatts total generating capacity in Massachusetts.
Cape Wind has signed long-term contracts to sell 78% of its power to the state's largest utilities.
The wind power's cost is as much as twice that of conventional power, but because it would be a small portion of the overall energy pool, consumers would see at most a 2.2% increase to their monthly bills, according to estimates in a 2010 report by Massachusetts regulators.
Cape Wind has yet to clear one major regulatory hurdle: the Federal Aviation Administration is reviewing the project after opponents appealed its initial approval in 2010. The FAA must determine whether the wind farm would pose a risk to aircraft radar.
The project also faces headwinds from a decline in the price of natural gas, which undermining the case for renewable energy—though it isn't clear how long the dip will last.
Matthew Healey for The Wall Street Journal.
Captain Brad Primer on the Megan T. Miller as it heads out to collect seabed samples for the offshore wind turbine project.
In addition, the federal government's tax-credit program for wind projects is set to expire at year-end, and Congress has shown little gusto for alternative-energy subsidies in the wake of the fallout over government loans to failed solar-panel company Solyndra LLC.
"It's more difficult, but our plan is to do everything we can to move forward in any way," said Mark Rodgers, a spokesman for Energy Management.
Mr. Rodgers believes some opponents, like Mr. Koch, who has a waterfront home on Cape Cod and who is in the coal business, are worried about competition from wind energy. Mr. Koch is a funder of the Alliance to Protect Nantucket Sound, said his spokesman Brad Goldstein. The Alliance is the project's main opponent.
Mr. Goldstein said Mr. Koch's business interests have nothing to do with his opposition to the project. Mr. Koch believes the proposal isn't feasible without government support and that it "spoils a beautiful sanctuary," Mr. Goldstein said.
Thursday, at the harbor in Hyannis Port, a village that is part of Barnstable, Hy-Line's Mr. Scudder watched eagerly from his dock as research crews unloaded ocean samples from a vessel that had returned from the sound as part of Cape Wind's survey work. A decade of review on the project has eased any questions he had, he said.
Motioning out to Nantucket Sound, he said, "Some people are worried because there's never been something out there, so it's unknown. But the chance to have the first offshore wind farm in the U.S. on Cape Cod—I see it as an opportunity."
1. What about birds ..... tourism....... are there any facts/figures you can find?
2. What are the pros and cons? What do YOU vote - yes or no?
Write to Jennifer Levitz at jennifer.levitz@wsj.com
A 2008 statistic study by a biologist from the Fish and Wildlife Service estimated that approximately wind farms kill 440,000 birds in the United States. However, up to 1 million die annually from oil field pits and waste facilities, and millions more from cars, power lines, radio towers, collisions, cats, and buildings. Bearing this in mind, is it really so bad to establish a wind farm at this convenient location of the coast? Will it do that much damage? After all, an increase in wind industry would provide a cleaner, more eco-friendly 20% of the nations energy. Th wind industry provides clean energy and vital support to expand and create jobs.
ReplyDeleteHowever, there is the fact that the American Bird Conservancy states that the wind industry's goal of producing 20% of the nations electricity would kill millions of birds per year, plus the surplus of accidents that already occur everyday. I vote we only use the wind industry to create 15% or less of the nations electricity, 20% would be overkill for the birds, and about 15% would give us the energy we want.
I think that having a wind farm is not a good idea because, although it is a clean and eco-friendly source of energy, it would ruin the landscape of Cape Cod. Every year about 5.2 million people from all around the globe come to the Cape to escape the urban life for the summer. If the whole purpose of going to a summer house on the Cape is for the view and not the distraction of the city, then wouldn't it defeat the purpose of going to the Cape if you wake up, and you see the wind turbines instead of the gorgeous view your used to? Although, not all people will be burden, but many summer residents will be deprived of their view of the beautiful landscape of Cape Cod.
DeleteThere are a few cons of implanting windmills off the coast of Cape Cod. Birds and sails might be hurt, a variety of boats will be blocked, and the project will cost a total of 2 billion dollars. Although these are valid reasons for not wanting to place the windmills down, I think the pros outweigh the cons. Most animals could actually use the windmills as protection. For example, fish could use them as reefs. The project would start with a 2 billion dollar decrease, but would make back the money in no time because wind energy is renewable. In addition, there will be no pollution and no fuel is mandatory.
ReplyDeleteThe amount of tourists visiting Cape Cod per year will most likely increase since the windmills will be visible from shore. 130 windmills will be placed down; in one year, these could produce electricity for up to 52,000 homes! My vote is yes; there should be windmills off the shore of Cape Cod to provide safe and unpolluted energy for thousands of homes.
I would vote yes for the windmills. The major negatives of using/building the windmills off the coast of Cape Cod is that it may hurt birds, affect boat travel, and it may cost upwards of 2 billion dollars. The pros are the windmills do not adversely affect the eco-system in a negative way and that wind is reusable and that it is an abundant supply. Also the windmills may not affect the birds it was stated that it may affect the birds, so there is a solid chance that it will not hurt the birds. Lastly, the cost will most likely not exceed 2 billion dollars it will most likely be reduced from that amount. My vote is certainly yes that there should be windmills off the coast of Cape Cod.
ReplyDeleteTo put a wind farm in Nantucket sound I would vote yes. The pros to this investments are it will increase the clean energy in Massachusetts by 3.5% and this would encourage more ideas to use clean, renewable energy. This is following Obama's plan for renewable energy and this can be the lead off, big investment which can allow Obama to make more investments. The cons are tourist and people who live in cape cod, would get mad that the wind farm will be in the way of the ferry's path to and from the mainland.
ReplyDeleteI would vote yes to Cape Wind. Its pros are that it produces clean renewable energy. And 78% of that energy would go to the state. One of the cons is that it will kill birds, but by using renewable energy, climate change will be slowed and that will benefit that birds. The other con is that it would cost a lot of money, but it is worth it in the long run.
ReplyDeleteLike the other people above said, I would vote yes. This would influence more ways of increasing clean energy in Massachusetts. Even though it would make it harder for boats to navigate around it, Hy-Line was also thinking of giving educational boat rides and spreading the word about clean energy, and hopefully the educational boat rides would make up for the less tourism from the normal boat rides to Martha's Vineyard.
ReplyDeleteWind turbines should definitely not be placed in the waters off Cape Cod, because there is far too much risk. First of all, turbines could get in the way of an airplane, or a boat, and if a boat crashes into one of these turbines, fuel could be leaked all over the water, hurting birds and other sea creatures. Even if this worst case scenario doesn’t happen, we would be spending two-billion dollars, and investing all this time building these wind turbines, for only 3.5% of our capacity. This is very expensive, and everyone’s costs will go up. In addition, wind turbines are loud and unattractive. Even though Jim Gordon, the president of Energy Management, claimed they are “majestic and beautiful” everyone knows that anyone living by the water would rather look out and see the ocean than a huge wind turbine. Families living close to wind turbines have also explained that they can’t sleep at night, because the noises from them are far too loud and disruptive. The negatives clearly outweigh the positives when considering putting wind turbines all around Cape Cod shores.
ReplyDeleteThere are only two positive aspects to placing wind turbines off Cape Cod. First, it is important to find new sources of energy that are green and renewable. Most of our sources of energy come from other countries, and many people believe that we should stop relying on other countries, and become more self sufficient and find our own ways.
Even though these two points are reasonable, I believe that adding wind turbines is just adding risk. Birds and sea creatures could die, the project cost is very expensive, people would have to pay more money. the turbines are ugly and noisy, and there are risks to boats, airplanes. and the ocean environment.
I vote in favor of the Cape Wind project. 78% of the energy generated would go to the state, causing fewer greenhouse gasses to be released into the atmosphere. The other 22% could also be sold to generate more income from the state. Since the wind farm is so far out to sea, the turbines will not be heard by coastal residents, and will only appear as white specks on the horizon. The Wind farm will also increase turists, who will come for a boat tour of the wind farm. The positives clearly outweigh the negatives, which are just that the turbines will be hazardous to birds and planes, and will be visible from land. Because of this, installing a wind farm off Cape Cod is a good idea and will benefit the state.
ReplyDeleteI vote that the Cape Wind projet go through. The turbines would produce clean renewable energy for Massachusetts, turning us into a greener state. 78% or more of the energy produced will be used by Massachusetts, and the energy left over can be sold to other states in New England, which would help other states become greener because they don't need to produce as much for themselves. The environmental impact of the wind farm would not be very big. Unlike coal and oil, wind turbines don't release any greenhouse gasses into the air, helping to keep the atmosphere clean. Even though the wind farm would kill 450,000 birds, there are an estimated 20 billion birds in the U.S, so that really isn't a lot. The noise wouldn't affect people because the wind farm is located 5 miles offshore. Even if it was 5 miles away from everything on land it is doubtful you could hear it, but with the added noise of the ocean, then the windfarm will be silent. The only con of the windfarm would be the cost of $2 billion, and the fact that most people won't want to see it from the shore.
ReplyDeleteWind mills should absolutely not be placed off the shores of Cape Cod. I agree with Sophie in saying that the consequences outweigh the pros of this project and would put many aspects of the area at risk. I am in favor of wind power and renewable energy, but putting a wind farm in such a populated area would be an big inconvenience. Vacationers and tourists that visit the Cape to experience its charm and beauty, and the mills would ruin the view of the water and be an unavoidable eyesore. Windmills are not "majestic and beautiful" as Jim Gordon said, nor do they look like "sailing masts on the horizon." They are enormous white columns with rotating blades that create a loud electrical hum, which would make life on Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard, and Nantucket unpleasant and decrease the tourism over time. Although putting the windmills in would create a small spike in tourism at first, it would only last for about a year (there's only so much one can observe from a windmill).
ReplyDeleteAs Sophie pointed out, these mills could create boat and plane accidents, and this would have a negative impact on the water quality. Oil leaks and floating trash would be hazardous to both the aquatic wildlife as well as the families who spend so much of their time swimming and boating around the area on weekends. If this would only make up for 3.5% of Massachusetts energy supply, then it is not worth the consequences. I suggest that if we are to create wind farms in our state, we should place them in remote areas where they will impact the environment as little as possible.
I would also say yes to the Cape Wind project. This project will cost a lot of money, and it will effect the boats navigation, but on the other hand it will help educate people about keeping our environment clean. Like Cassandra had said, it would influence more ways of increasing clean energy in Massachusetts.
ReplyDeleteI would vote yes to the Cape Wind project for a few simple reasons. First, it will produce cleaner reusable energy to help the state even more. The only major effect that it could have is the killings in the bird environment that could also change their migrating cycles. The state most definitely needs a cleaner energy production and this is perfect for us.
ReplyDelete