Massachusetts Supreme Court Rules in Favor of Cape Wind

[jpak]

http://www.renewableenergyaccess.com/rea/news/story?id=46913

The Cape Wind project won a landmark victory this week in its quest to develop a 130 turbine wind farm off the Massachusetts coast. On Monday, the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts upheld the May 2005 ruling by the state's Energy Facilities Siting Council that approved construction -- and operation -- of an 18-mile undersea cable to connect the proposed Nantucket Sound wind project to the mainland electricity grid.

According to the December 20 issue of the Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly, in the case of Alliance to Protect Nantucket Sound vs. Massachusetts Energy Facilities Siting Board (MEFSB), the Court ruled the board "has acted permissibly" in determining that the transmission lines were needed to serve the proposed wind farm -- even though the wind farm itself will ultimately require the approval of federal agencies.

"The state's highest court has now confirmed the validity of the original agency decision, which said emphatically that Cape Wind's power is needed, that Cape Wind will reduce air pollution and that the project is a needed part of our state's energy mix," stated Cape Wind President Jim Gordon.

The decision this week comes more than four years after the original petition to "operate and maintain two new 115 kilovolt electric transmission lines" was submitted to MEFSB by Cape Wind Associates and the Commonwealth Electric Company in September 2002.

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[IndyOp]

1. I love the idea of having more windpower - what does this do

to the sound? Were there any eco-groups concerned about the sound involved in this or is the impact minimal?

:shrug:

[Jim Warren]

2. NIMBY

The main reaction against that I've seen is from wealthy ocean-front property owners, probably many of whom are quasi environmentally aware,
worried if their view will be corrupted.

[GreenPartyVoter]

3. Well, they'll have an unimpeded view if the ocean washes right

over their homes thanks to melting polar caps.

[Warren Stupidity]

4. I'm almost all for the cape wind project however...

I am concerned about the fact that public lands are essentially being given to a private company, from the use of which they will then turn around and extract rent from the people of Massachusetts. Cape Wind ought to at least be required to lease the public lands it is using, or pay royalties back to the state from the profits they make.