Greenwire: Though the Cape Wind offshore wind farm secured approval yesterday from Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, residents of Cape Cod do not expect a conclusion anytime soon to a battle that has already dragged on for nearly a decade.
“I don’t think it’s over yet,” said Rob MacNamee, 42, an attorney from Barnstable, Mass. “It’s been going on for how long? All the stickers for and against have washed off the cars, and the signs have blown down.”
The 130 wind turbines would be visible from much of the region, but residents do not expect to see the 440-foot structures to be built anytime soon. Several groups have threatened lawsuits to block the project.
Critics of the project say the turbines would change the character of Nantucket Sound, ruining scenic views and obstructing the routes currently taken by boats. Backers say the project would make Massachusetts a leader in renewable energy and provide enough energy to meet most of Cape Cod’s electricity needs.
Steven Spagnohe, a 46-year-old musician from Hyannis, Mass., described opponents of the project as “old money,” saying they “don’t want to lose tradition.” Ian Parent, the owner of a cafe in Hyannis, said he supports renewable energy but does not think Nantucket Sound is the right place for the technology.
“I’m 100 percent for alternative energy, but just not in Nantucket Sound,” Parent said. “There’s no guarantee that the electricity will be cheaper. And once you put those windmills out there, you can never take them away” (Katie Zezima, New York Times, April 29). – GN