Public Power - January/February 2008 - (Page 32) Green Energy = Mean Energy? opponents of Cape Wind have emphasized seem to be minor or even without merit. If the U.S. Energy Information Agency is right, the United States and New England will need the power Cape Wind would provide. Solar power is not a practical option and the Horseshoe Shoals-Nantucket Sound site seems to be the best location for a wind farm. The alternatives would be to ignore the requirements of the state’s renewable portfolio standard, perhaps getting it re- scinded in the Legislature, and building another fossil fuel or nuclear plant. The wind turbines of Cape Wind would stand 440 feet above the water, more than 100 feet taller than the Statue of Liberty, and 130 turbines would cover a 24-squaremile area. Visual simulations done separately by Cape Wind and Save Our Sound clearly show that even from six miles away, the horizon would be broken up by the wind farm. The wind farm would be visible from Call The Wright People! • Line Clearance • Mechanical Line Clearing • Right-Of-Way Mowing • Land Clearing • Herbicide Application • Substation Restoration and Maintenance • Commercial and Residential Tree Care Whatever the situation, an emergency or routine line clearance, our utility customers know they can count on Wright Tree Service to get the job done – quickly, efficiently and safely. From the Rocky Mountains to the Great Lakes, from Canada to the tip of Texas, we’re the Wright people for your job! Call or write for our capabilities brochure or visit our website. For Expert Vegetation Management “Call me for immediate action!” WRIGHT TREE SERVICE P. O. Box 1718, Des Moines, IA 50306 www.wrighttree.com — Scott Packard, President/CEO 1-800-882-1216 Cape Cod, Hyannis Port, Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket. It would be part of what was once an uninterrupted ocean. Cape Wind and the residents in the vicinity of the wind farm are embroiled in a classic conflict, what is often referred to as a “NIMBY”—not in my back yard. Cape Wind is not the only proposed wind farm with enemies. Horicon Marsh Systems Advocates opposes a 130-turbine wind farm in Wisconsin. An organization called Protect the Flint Hills is trying to block construction of a 1,000-turbine wind farm in Kansas. Glebe Mountain Group and Vermonters With Vision have organized to keep wind turbines off of Vermont’s mountains. Friends of Beautiful Pendleton County successfully halted construction of a wind farm in Pendleton County, W.Va. On the surface, the community embroiled in a NIMBY dispute can seem selfish, especially if the project, like Cape Wind, appears to be for the greater good. But the people at the center of the dispute have a valid point. Why should they have to shoulder the burden for the rest of those who would benefit from the project? If some effort isn’t made to address the concerns of the affected community and incorporate their members in the decision making process, more of these projects will meet community opposition. The approval process for Cape Wind has been significantly slowed down by what appears to be a learning process on the part of the federal government. (The federal government is involved, because the project is sited in federal waters and Cape Wind is seeking a lease for the project from the federal government.) Initially, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers was responsible for approving the project and they conducted and produced a draft environmental impact study (DEIS). While the corps did a very thorough job on the DEIS, it did not make sense for them to be the lead on the approval process. Under the Energy Policy Act of 2005, the approval process was moved to the Offshore Program of Mineral Management Services (MMS) under the Department of Interior. Unfortunately, this slowed the approval process for the lease, as MMS decided to produce a new DEIS. The DEIS is due at the time of this paper and PUBLIC POWER 32 JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2008 http://www.wrighttree.com
For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.