Cape Wind project approved

Another hurdle cleared for Cape Wind

By Megan Treacy

Posted Fri May 7, 2010 3:14pm PDT

Related topics: Government, Wind Power, Electricity

More from EcoGeek blog

Last week, the Cape Wind offshore wind farm was approved by the federal government, but there were still some unknowns left to deal with, a major one being who would buy the power the wind farm generated.  Today, that part has at least partially been decided, with Massachusetts utility National Grid agreeing to purchase half of the power starting in 2013.

Under the contract, National Grid will buy the electricity at 20.7 cents per kWh, which will lead to an increase of only about $1.59 per month on its customers energy bills.

The contract is a win-win for National Grid and Cape Wind.  The agreement is enough for the wind farm to start securing financing and investors and the electricity being purchased will equal three percent of the utility's total load -- a big step towards a state requirement to get 15 percent of their total electricity from renewable sources by 2020.
The project is set to be completed by the end of 2012, but there are still other hurdles to clear:  more purchase agreements are needed, many lawsuits have been filed to halt the project and lots of red tape lays ahead to build the wind farm.
via Earth2Tech

Source: http://green.yahoo.com/blog/ecogeek/1370/another-hurdle-cleared-for-cape-wind.html;_ylt=AvxBO67HReFT6mW6_avFLfOIV8cX

By Megan Treacy

Posted Wed Apr 28, 2010 12:43pm PDT

Related topics: Wind Power

More from EcoGeek blog

Cape Wind project approved 

U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar has approved the Cape Wind offshore wind farm project!  In addition to giving the go-ahead, Salazar outlined a few tweaks to incorporate the concerns of those who have opposed the project.

• The project will be reduced in scope from the original 170 turbines planned to 130.
• Additional marine surveys will be required before construction to make sure the archaeological heritage of the site can be preserved.
• Other measures will need be incorporated to minimize the "visual impact" of the wind farm.

It's hard to believe it's been nine years since the first announcement of the project in the Nantucket Sound.  Some residents of the surrounding area, including Wampanoag Indian tribes and the late Sen. Kennedy, have opposed the project because they believe it would obstruct their views (and disrupt spiritual rituals and ancient burial sites of the Indians).
But environmentalists around the country and five East Coast governors all rallied for its approval, and in the end, the U.S. is finally getting its first offshore wind farm.  The wind farm will have a capacity of 420 MW -- enough to meet 75 percent of Cape Cod and the Islands' electricity needs.
The U.S. leads the world in wind energy capacity, but we've lagged behind other countries, especially in Europe, that have forged ahead with offshore wind.
Why is this a big deal?  Because offshore wind is stronger, more consistent and near coastal population centers, meaning more power generation, less gaps in electricity and no need for huge transmission networks (like those needed to distribute wind energy generated in the middle of the country).
via  Boston Globe

 Source: http://green.yahoo.com/blog/ecogeek/1362/cape-wind-project-approved.html;_ylt=Apwz.a0k0Q09Szogow456J.IV8cX