CapeWin

This morning, Secretary of Interior Ken Salazar announced the Obama Administration's approval of the United States' first offshore wind farm in Nantucket Sound. First proposed by Cape Wind Associates in November, 2001, the project represents a potentially groundbreaking step in the path towards American clean energy generation. Over the last decade, the story of Cape Wind has been girded with engineering challenges, NIMBYism and environmental impact statements. And despite the opposition of conservationist efforts of groups like the Alliance to Protect Nantucket Sound, I applaud the decision. I concede there are differences in aesthetic preferences, but I would personally prefer the sight of an offshore wind farm to an offshore oil rig, much less and exploding oil rig. At any rate, the Department of Energy predicts that offshore wind farms can account for 4% of the nation's energy generation by 2030, and I think this is an excellent first step...provided it doesn't take a decade for each subsequent offshore wind project.