Clean Energy and Environmental Groups Call for Immediate Action on Cape Wind

Clean energy, environmental and public health groups call on the administration to move forward without delay on the Cape Wind project. These groups were outraged today by what appears to be further political meddling with the final approval for Cape Wind in Nantucket Sound, MA.

Opponents of the 130 turbine project are seeking to delay the delivery to the Minerals Management Service (MMS) of a positive technical study by the Coast Guard allowing for release of the project's Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS). The FEIS, expected to be released in January, is anticipated to conclude that the project's environmental benefits would far outweigh its negative impacts.

"This is a last-minute political move to delay a final decision on the Cape Wind project, which promises to create hundreds of green jobs and clean, renewable power for thousands of Cape Cod homes. After almost a decade of consideration, we cannot afford more delays," the groups said in a joint statement.

Last week, the Coast Guard reported on the findings of that study, indicating that Cape Wind would not pose a threat to navigation. Cape Wind has already been approved by the State of Massachusetts Energy Facilities Siting Board, which found that the project's energy is needed and would result in environmental improvements and consumer savings.

Despite calls for clean energy solutions and the mounting pressures of climate change, the 130 turbine Cape Wind project has been through over seven years of permitting and federal review -- much longer than a traditional coal power plant requires. The Coast Guard has thoroughly reviewed the project and took the added step of undertaking a technical study on marine radar systems for release to MMS as part of the federal review of the Cape Wind project.

Cape Wind opponents, however, are pushing Congress to block delivery of the Coast Guard report and delay the offshore wind project.