Aaaannnd we’re off! Ten years after the proposal was first submitted, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation, and Enforcement has approved plans for the first American offshore wind farm.
In a landmark affirmation for renewable energy, the Feds pushed forward plans to build the 468 megawatt Cape Wind project off the coast of Massachusetts. In addition to providing renewable energy for the people of Massachusetts, the project will create between 600-1,000 jobs for the construction process as well as bolster wind-related job opportunities nationwide.
Despite approval by the federal government, the Cape Wind development still faces obstacles. Opposition to the project, mostly from NIMBYists who believe the turbines will be ruin the pristine view from the shore, still runs strong. To whom we ask: Would you rather look at a wind turbine or a coal power plant? Also, the project still needs to find a utility to purchase the electricity.
Hey, if it wasn’t a battle to get the project done, it probably wouldn’t be worth it. But federal approval is the first hurdle, and if things go well construction could begin as early as this fall.
(via MSNBC)
Photo: The Burbo Bank wind farm, off the coast of Liverpool, England generates 90 megawatts of clean electricity. (Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)