Cape Wind, Inc. filed in November of 2001 for a license to build a wind farm five miles off the coast of Massachusetts in Nantucket Sound. Since that time, the project has generated plenty of controversy, protests and court actions.
This January, the newly created Minerals Management Service for the U. S. Department of the Interior approved the project and in May, Massachusetts’ State Energy Facilities Siting Board approved the license for the project.
Even with these approvals, Save Our Sound Executive Director Audra Parker says the project has a long way to go, “No federal permits have been issued, so this project is not a done deal.”
“We filed an appeal with Massachusetts’ Supreme Judicial Court to have the Siting Board’s License revoked,” Parker said.
Comparisons
Project opponents compare Cape Wind to similar project initiated in neighbouring Rhode Island.
Barbara Gookin is the Chair of Nantucket’s Energy Study Committee and she says her town committee supports wind power and alternative energy sources.
Speaking on her own behalf however, she believes Rhode Island-based Deep Water Wind is a better risk, “Deep Water Wind is being done correctly. They’re able to make informed decisions about whether it’s financially viable.”
Save Our Sound Executive Director Audra Parker agrees, ““There are other offshore projects that are better and more sound than this one. The Deep Water project closer to Rhode Island is in a less conflicted location.”
The two projects are similar in concept, but different in technology.
One of the primary differences between the two projects is tower construction.
Cape Wind will use what they call monopiles, “The turbines will be supported by towers that have been installed on monopile foundations. Each foundation will be between five and six and a half meters across and will weigh between 250 and 350 tons. Depending on the specific seabed conditions, the foundations will be driven approximately 85 feet into the sea bed.”
Deep Water Mind will use multipiles, “The technology involves sinking four pin piles in the ocean bed, making the turbine more secure, mounted on four pin piles.”
Ms. Gookin personally cites other differences in the projects. She says Cape Wind is out of order, ““Cape Wind doesn’t have a purchase agreement and they don’t know what they’re costs will be to the ratepayers.”
Ms. Gookin adds, “They haven’t factored in the lifetime costs. Wind turbines only last 18 years when they’re in the water. Part of the cost is the decommissioning and they haven’t factored that in to the cost estimates.”
Ms. Parker says there are other problems with the Cape Wind project. One of the major problems with the project is its location.
“‘Look on a map and Nantucket Sound is the major body of water between Martha’s Vineyard, Nantucket,” Parker said. ““Safety risk in aviation and navigation. The FAA has issued a presumed hazard because the spinning turbines can interfere with navigation and radio equipment.”
Even though the FAA has issued a hazard alert, the agency isn’t necessarily opposed to the wind farm.
Carl Borchert is a chapter director for Clean Power Now, a 12-thousand member group that supports the project. He says the FAA has given the project a clean bill of health.
“The project has received two determinations from the FAA and they have said Cape Wind will pose no hazard to aviation. The project is not in the corridors for the Barnstable, Marha’s Vineyard or Nantucket Airports,” Borchert said.
Being Energized
Still, will the wind farm have a positive impact on the area’s energy supply?
Barbara Gookin says wind power is a clean and renewable energy source and Nantucket is working on a wind turbine project for the island’s landfill. The energy will save the island money, ““The savings come in because we don’t have to buy it and we don’t have to pay for delivery.”
That’s the landfill project, but the town is doing more with the technology, “Our high school is planning to build a smaller turbine so the school will not have to buy the electricity.”
Gookin points out that these are land-based wind projects. In her opinion, Cape Wind is different, ““Cape Wind hasn’t said what they’ll do with the electricity if they can build it.”
Nantucket Town Manager Elizabeth Gibson says the power will not help Nantucket, “It is my understanding that the Cape Wind farm will not provide any electricity at all to Nantucket.”
The dispute now goes to the Massachusetts courts.
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