Agency permanently extends comment period for alt. energy leases
In the fall of 2001, Jim Gordon of Energy Management Inc. (EMI) announced his intentions to build a 420 megawatt wind farm off the coast of Massachusetts - the nation’s first. Now, the long permitting process that was made even longer by powerful opposition groups, is nearing resolution…finally.
More than 40,000 individuals and organizations have submitted comments on an environmental review of the wind farm proposed for Nantucket Sound, according to an article in the Cape Cod Times.
“I’ve never seen anything like this before,” said Rodney Cluck, Cape Wind project manager for the U.S. Minerals Management Service, the lead federal agency to review Cape Wind Associates’ plan to build 130 wind turbines in Nantucket Sound, off the coast of Massachusetts. Originally, the comments were set to be released last Friday, but officials at the Minerals Management Service postponed the release to give agency staffers more time to organize the overwhelming public response to the proposed wind farm.
As a result of the scoping process’ popularity, the MMS announced that they would be preemptively extending the comment period for all of the remaining “Alternative Energy Leases” from 30 to 60 days.
The final number of public comments submitted on the agency’s Cape Wind draft environmental report has yet to be tallied. But it is quite telling that an earlier 2005 report on the same project issued by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers produced one-tenth the number of comments than this one indicates that MMS did something right since taking over the review of Cape Wind from the Army Corps as part of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (As an aside, I think it also says something about the Corps of Engineers’ ability to adequately conduct a thorough public scoping process).
Opponents remain critical; supporters remain confident
The Alliance to Protect Nantucket Sound, the project’s most vocal opponent, enlisted 40 experts to review the report. The hired guns produced a 3,000-page critique of the Cape Wind proposal. One theme of critique coming from private scientists as well as public ones, was that the report’s information on migratory birds and fishery habitats where the project would be located is inadequate. “At the very least, the (report) should explain why recommended studies and analyses were not conducted and the ramifications of not having that information,” Michael Bartlett, supervisor for the New England Field Office of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Despite the criticisms of the MMS report, the vast majority of comments submitted will be in favor of the project, predicted Mark Rodgers, Communications Director for Cape Wind Associates.
A record of decision from the agency indicating approval or disapproval of the Cape Wind project is expected to be released sometime in the winter. And only then will this long, arduous journey be over…right?
Other Posts Related to the Cape Wind Project:
“The Politicos Chiming in On Cape Wind” :: sustainablog (8/2005)
“(D)emocracy: Tell the Feds What You Think About Cape Wind” :: Planetsave (2/2008)
“Survey Finds Overwhelming Support for Cape Wind” :: ecopolitology (8/2007)
“Breaking: MMS Report Favorable on Cape Wind” :: sustainablog (1/2008)
“Cape Wind Opponent to Step Down” :: sustainablog (1/2008)
Photo: © Kamil Sobócki | Dreamstime.com
]]>
A recent survey (pdf) found that 87 percent of Massachusetts residents say they are now “more likely to support Cape Wind” in the wake of the recently issued draft environmental impact statement (EIS) that found no major environmental harms resulting from the project. It seems that the growing public consciousness of climate change is actually producing measurable shifts in the public mood. Time is clearly running out for Cape Wind opponents. And despite the recent 30-day extension of the public comment period granted by the U.S. Minerals Management Service (at the behest of the Alliance to Protect Nantucket Sound), it is my firm belief that this project will soon get the federal stamp of approval it has been seeking (to go along with the federal approval it already got back in 2004). In what should make for a pretty entertaining roadshow, the MMS is beginning a four-night run of public hearings starting on Monday March 10th in West Yarmouth, MA. The hearings will then rumble through Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard before concluding in Boston on March 13. If you are not lucky enough to attend, what will certainly be “spirited” events, you may submit an e-comment no later than April 21.
The proposed Cape Wind project would be comprised of 130 wind turbines that could generate a maximum of 468 megawatts output with an average output of approximately 180 megawatts. The project is proposed to be located on federal submerged lands in Nantucket Sound off the coast of Massachusetts.
When compared with the data from previous research, it is clear that support is growing among Massachusetts residents. The research was conducted by the Civil Society Institute, a Massachusetts think tank focused on problem-solving interactions among people, and between communities, government and business. This most recent iteration of the survey research has a sample size of 1200 adults.
Highlights from the survey:
- Support for Cape Wind in Massachusetts statewide has grown to 86 percent -– compared to 84 percent in August 2007 and 81 percent in June 2006 surveys posing the same question.
- The growth in support for the Cape Wind project in Cape Cod/the Islands is even more striking -– rising to 74 percent in the new recent survey, compared to 61 percent in October 2007.
- 95 percent of state residents think it is “important” that “Massachusetts take the steps needed now to ‘unplug’ itself from coal- and oil-based power and ‘plug in’ to solar, wind and other clean energy sources.”
Monitor Real-Time Weather Conditions at Proposed Site
Read the survey report here (pdf).
Photo Credit: phault via flickr
]]>
(Author’s Note: As I write this, the current weather conditions in Nantucket Sound [Wed Feb 13 16:41 EDST] are ideal for wind power generation. With wind speeds of 38 knots and gusts of up to 45 knots at the location of the proposed offshore wind energy installation, Cape Wind would have produced 422 megawatts of clean, renewable energy local in the last hour).
1. Do you have an opinion about offshore wind energy development?
2. Are you an American citizen?
3. Do you give a s#!t about this planet?
If you answered yes to all of the above, then you might be interested to know that the comment period for the Cape Wind project, the proposed offshore windfarm near Cape Cod, MA, is open to the general public until March 20th. This project is proposed for development in Federal waters, so it is open to all American citizens. You can submit an e-comment via the Department of Interior’s Minerals Management Service Public Connect system. Since the release of the draft EIS last month, most seem to think the report is generally favorable on the Cape Wind proposal. But the process is far from over. The anti-Cape Wind effort is still well-funded and persistent. The public commenting period can have a significant impact on the final determination in an EIS, so go ahead and speak your mind.
Post E-Comment via MMS Public Connect
From the MMS Website:
The 60-day comment period for the Draft Environmental Impact Statement is about half way through, assesses the physical, biological and social/human impacts of the proposed project and all reasonable alternatives, including action not taken (i.e., the project is not built), in an objective fashion in order to determine if the proposal is environmentally sound. A final decision will be made, which will account for the regional, state and local benefits and impacts as well as for the overall public interest of the United States. A final approval will be granted only if, after consideration of both environmental and non-environmental issues, the MMS finds that the proposed action is in the public interest.
Post E-Comment via MMS Public Connect
Photo: dpicker via flickr
]]>
It comes as no great surprise to many of us that there will always be a roadblock to a good step forward; especially if it’s a green step. People often do not like new technology. They’re scared of it, or fearful of the jobs it will take away/create. This is very much the case for wind-power, and wind-farms in particular. People are upset because they feel that their lovely views are worth more than the environment itself.
Does someone really need to point out that, if we continue down the road we are on, their views will be spoilt regardless?
A report by the Minerals Management Service in the US gave preliminary environmental approval to a proposed wind-farm off Cape Cod. Plans by developer Cape Wind Associates describe a wind-farm encompassing 25 miles of federal waters in Nantucket Sound, with 130 windmills generating power for thousands of households.
The findings showed that the plans would pose no significant threat to the environment, despite claims to the contrary by locals and politicians.
Public comment is now requested by the agency that will make the final decision for the project, probably later this year. Public hearings will be held in March in West Yarmouth, Nantucket, Martha’s Vineyard and Boston.
A successful acceptance of this proposal would allow for America’s first offshore wind-farm to be constructed. With turbines rising up to 440 feet above sea level (when the tallest blades are at their peak), this project is nothing but controversial though.
“The draft environmental impact statement is a crucial step forward in completing our review of the Cape Wind Energy Project,” said Minerals Management Service director Randall Luthi in a statement.
And there is a lot of support behind this project, with calls from the Conservation Law Foundation pointing out the benefits of such a renewable source of energy. “Cape Wind is one of the nation’s most promising clean energy projects,” said foundation president Philip Warburg in a statement. “When built, its 130 turbines will deliver clean energy to thousands of households, making an immediate impact in the region’s efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and end our dependency on dirty fossil fuels.”
According to the AP article, “Opponents fear possible environmental and economic effects on Cape Cod’s tourist and fishing industries.” It goes on to say that the project has drawn criticism from other avenues, including “…commercial fishermen, cruise lines, wildlife advocates and Cape Cod representatives.”
However, one cannot really expect a community of people, in this day and age, to actually know what it is that they are talking about when they make such claims. A society that is slowly sliding further and further in to environmental degradation cannot all of a sudden become experts in what the environmental effects of a wind-farm would be.
Regardless, according to Cape Cod congressman and opponent of the plans, Rep. William Delahunt, D-Mass., no matter what the decision made later this year, the project will likely get tied up in litigation.
Ladies and Gentlemen; our society in spotlight.
AP via MSNBC - Controversial offshore wind farm clears hurdle
Photo Courtesy of Morten Mitchell Larød via Flickr
]]>
As I reported yesterday, a proposed wind farm near Cape Cod cleared a major hurdle when the US Minerals Management Service issued a favorable report in their DraftEnvironmental Impact Statement.
The agency indicated that, in nearly all of the issues they studied, the project would have minimal impacts. The report did say that some birds would have “moderate” impacts, but that those problems could be mostly mitigated. Believe it or not, the only “major” impact cited in the MMS report was the view from boats. You can judge for yourself how those turbines might look by taking a look at the image above, which is a simulated view of the turbines from Nantucket created by the Cape Wind folks (link to more below). It seems to me that if the only major problem with the project is based on… …a subjective interpretation of wind turbines as aesthetically objectionable, that there should be very little standing in the way of this project. But, unfortunately, it’s not quite that easy.
Early reactions to the Draft Environmental Impact Statement:
“Expensive renewable energy projects with risks to safety, the environment, and the local economy like Cape Wind, fail to meet the standards for federal approval defined by Congress.” - Glenn Wattley of the Alliance to Protect Nantucket Sound
“They have done an adequate and thorough job of reviewing the potential environmental impacts with regard to avian life.” - Jack Clarke, director of public policy and government relations for Massachusetts Audubon
“At first blush, it looks like they really glossed over a lot. I feel it’s a grave error to charge ahead and make another mistake on a decision that carries so much weight as a precedent. … It’s clear the push is on … but do it where it doesn’t have an impact on the fisheries. You don’t have to displace fish and fishermen to have alternative energy. That’s a false choice.” – David Bergeron, Executive Director, Massachusetts Fisherman’s Partnership
“With public opinion demanding that our leaders provide greater energy independence and tackle climate change. I am confident that this project will move forward and provide significant benefit to citizens in this region.” - Jim Gordon, President of Cape Wind Associates.
“I am pleased to see the federal government moving forward on the review process for this important project. Publication of the draft federal environmental impact statement is a significant step for this project and indeed for renewable energy more broadly.” -Massachusetts Governor Duval Patrick
The Boston Globe
The Cape Cod Times
Clean Power Now
Cape Wind (simulated views)
Last week, the epic political battle over a proposed wind farm off the shores of Cape Cod, MA, was in the news once again. The news that Charles Vinick, head of Cape Wind opposition group, the Alliance to Protect Nantucket Sound, was going to step aside struck many observers as an indicator of things to come. When the Minerals Management Service’s released their offshore wind-siting guidelines one day later, I knew a decision was imminent. And lo and behold, there it was, a headline in today’s Boston Globe that many folks (including yours truly) had been waiting for…
“Federal report favorable on wind farm”
According to the 718-page Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) released by the MMS, the proposed wind farm would have little lasting impact on wildlife, navigation and tourism - claims that Cape Wind supporters have been making since the project was proposed seven years ago.
This may be the biggest regulatory hurdle Cape Wind needs for passage, but it is not the last. Per federal law, the EIS will now be subject to a 60-day public comment period beginning on January 17. Those wishing to comment may do so via MMS Public Connect, or at a series of meetinsg to be held in the Boston area and Cape Cod in March. The project is also subject to review by half a dozen state and local agencies, some of which have been openly opposed to the new transmission lines required by the project. One could also assume that opponents would most likely file lawsuits hoping to stop the project should it win final approval next November.
Official statements are expected by Cape Wind and the Alliance to Protect Nantucket Sound later today. ***UPDATE***
Draft EIS on Cape Wind (PDF)
Boston Globe
Cape Wind (current wind conditions)
For some background on the very contentious Cape Wind saga:
]]>
Cape Wind opposition leader, Charles Vinick is preparing to leave his post. Vinick, president of the Alliance to Protect Nantucket Sound, the well-funded opposition organization of the proposed Cape Wind energy project, has indicated that he would “transition” out of the position within a month.
Even if you haven’t closely followed the protracted political saga swirling around the proposed offshore wind farm in the shallow waters off Cape Cod, Massachusetts, you probably know that it has been going on for a long, long time. Unfortunately, the case has been filled with enough juicy political fodder over the last seven years to keep people from dwelling upon the fact that the regulatory review has already brought seven years of scrutiny by seventeen state and federal agencies.
However, an end may be in sight as a final decision from the U.S. Minerals Management Service (MMS) is imminent. That is why the timing of Vinick’s announcement strikes me as odd, and quite possibly a harbinger of things to come. Does Mr. Vinick know something we don’t? After all, for the past several months he worked out of the Alliance’s Washington D.C. office in anticipation of the pending draft environmental report. And now that the report is finally due to come out, he has decided to step down? Curious. In a case that has had no shortage of politics, this appears to be a clearly calculated move by an individual who has finally seen the writing on the wall.
And even though the MMS has announced that a decision would be forthcoming in early 2008, I would be remiss to ignore what happened the last time a final decision on the Cape Wind project was imminent - in 2005.
Background on the contentious Cape Wind saga:
Photo Credit: phault
]]>
In a recent Wall Street Journal article entitled 'Wind Jammers," the Journal manages to take both sides of the Cape Wind issue, without really taking either, while at the same time firmly sticking their foot into their mouths. If you are not familiar with Cape Wind (or I should say the war over Cape Wind), here is a brief update. A company wants to install a big wind farm off the coast of Cape Cod; they say it will produce 75% of the areas power. It has passed every major environmental and government review process so far. Some very rich opponents of the wind farm claim it will ruin the aesthetic value of the cape (their view), and some fisherman think it might interfere with fishing. If built, it will be America's first offshore wind farm. Even the Daily Show weighed in on the project. (warning: highly funny)
I have lived in the trenches of this battle for the last four years, and the "war" has been going on for the last 6 years. Getting a large renewable energy project built in the backyard of some of the nation's richest, and most politically-connected people, is not an easy task. The Wall Street Journal (supposedly one of the nation's best newspapers) has some interesting, and in my opinion foolish, things to say about the issue.
"But advocates often tout renewable energy not for its economics, but because it's virtuous. Many of those who are willing to impose the costs of various environmental schemes on other Americans based on "ideals" suddenly have started looking more closely at the tradeoffs when something they hold dear would have to be sacrificed, like a nice view. Wind energy is never going to be anything but a bit player in meeting the world's energy needs. The Nantucket tempest is useful mainly as a real-world test of whether some of the world's most privileged liberals wear their ideals all the time, or only when it suits them."
That’s a lot to chew on so lets break it down.
]]>
