Published: 7:00AM BST 29 Apr 2010
"This project fits with the tradition of sustainable development in the area," Mr Salazar said in Boston.
Although small in terms of its production - the facility would produce enough electricity to power 400,000 houses - its approval was encouraging to other offshore wind projects already proposed for the East Coast and Great Lakes.
The turbines, more than 400 feet high, will dot an area of about 24 square miles, larger than Manhattan, and be visible low on the horizon from parts of Cape Cod. The site is tucked between the mainland of the cape and the islands of Martha's Vineyard, an exclusive celebrity vacation destination, and Nantucket.
German conglomerate Siemens AG will provide the turbines. Construction is expected to begin before the end of the year. Supporters say wind farms represent a giant push for renewable energy efforts and reducing dependence on foreign oil, and fit well with the Obama administration's strategy.
But opponents have deemed the project an eyesore, and raised issues ranging from a detrimental effect on property values in the popular vacation area south of Boston, to possible damage to birds, whales, fishing, aviation, and historic sites.
The late Ted Kennedy, who used to sail in the Nantucket Sound, was a strong critic of the scheme and environmentalist Robert Kennedy Jr is also against it. US Senator Scott Brown, the Republican elected this year to fill Kennedy's seat, has criticised the decision and said the project was a threat to regional tourism and fishing.
The Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, a federal agency in charge of safeguarding historic landmarks, recommended this month that the project be rejected.
US wind generation increased by 27 percent last year, accounting for 2 per cent of total electricity supplies, according to the Energy Department. Wind power supports about 85,000 American jobs.
"Renewable energy projects like these not only help fight climate change, they can create jobs and play a central role in our economic recovery," said Frances Beinecke, president of the Natural Resources Defence Council.
Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/energy/windpower/7648857/US-approves-first-offshore-wind-farm-despite-Kennedy-opposition.html
America's first offshore wind farm has been approved by the Obama administration despite years of opposition from local Indian tribes and the Kennedy family.
Ken Salazar, US interior secretary, gave the green light for the historic project 5 miles off the Massachusetts coast, in what supporters considered a huge step forward for renewable energy in the United States."This project fits with the tradition of sustainable development in the area," Mr Salazar said in Boston.
Although small in terms of its production - the facility would produce enough electricity to power 400,000 houses - its approval was encouraging to other offshore wind projects already proposed for the East Coast and Great Lakes.
The turbines, more than 400 feet high, will dot an area of about 24 square miles, larger than Manhattan, and be visible low on the horizon from parts of Cape Cod. The site is tucked between the mainland of the cape and the islands of Martha's Vineyard, an exclusive celebrity vacation destination, and Nantucket.
German conglomerate Siemens AG will provide the turbines. Construction is expected to begin before the end of the year. Supporters say wind farms represent a giant push for renewable energy efforts and reducing dependence on foreign oil, and fit well with the Obama administration's strategy.
But opponents have deemed the project an eyesore, and raised issues ranging from a detrimental effect on property values in the popular vacation area south of Boston, to possible damage to birds, whales, fishing, aviation, and historic sites.
The late Ted Kennedy, who used to sail in the Nantucket Sound, was a strong critic of the scheme and environmentalist Robert Kennedy Jr is also against it. US Senator Scott Brown, the Republican elected this year to fill Kennedy's seat, has criticised the decision and said the project was a threat to regional tourism and fishing.
The Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, a federal agency in charge of safeguarding historic landmarks, recommended this month that the project be rejected.
US wind generation increased by 27 percent last year, accounting for 2 per cent of total electricity supplies, according to the Energy Department. Wind power supports about 85,000 American jobs.
"Renewable energy projects like these not only help fight climate change, they can create jobs and play a central role in our economic recovery," said Frances Beinecke, president of the Natural Resources Defence Council.
Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/energy/windpower/7648857/US-approves-first-offshore-wind-farm-despite-Kennedy-opposition.html
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