The winds of change heading to Massachusetts? U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar last week announced his approval of Cape Wind, an alternative way of generating energy using wind fueled by an arsenal of 130 windmills, 440 feet tall, rising from the ocean a few miles off Cape Cod.After an eight-year fight coupled with an onslaught of mixed reviews from the government, Salazar says the federal government plans to move forward with the $2 billion dollar project slotted to be constructed on Horseshoe Shoal in Nantucket Sound off the coast of Massachusetts.
The project has faced intense opposition from environmentalists and locals, including the late Sen. Edward Kennedy, who believe the windmills will mar the ocean view.
Jim Gordon, president of Cape Wind, argues that his group will protect the Cape's natural beauty while spearheading a viable supply of renewable energy.
“While this project was exhaustively analyzed and debated and even with Federal and State approvals demonstrating the significant environmental and economic benefits of Cape Wind, we recognize there are some local opponents who disagree, with Secretary Salazar’s decision," Gordon says in a release.
The Cape Wind president continues, "We appreciate their involvement in helping to shape the project and we now reach out to ask them to join the community and country in ushering in a new era of environmental stewardship, energy security and prosperity."
Looking ahead, Gordon adds, “We hope to begin construction of Cape Wind before the end of the year.”
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