energy, cleantech, wind

Cape Cod Wind Farm Nears Final Approval

Roxanne Palmer 5/29/09

Soon, you really won’t need a weatherman to know which way the wind is blowing in Massachusetts (or one part of the state, anyway)—all you’ll have to do is look for the spinning turbines in Nantucket Sound. Last week, the state’s Energy Facilities Siting Board voted unanimously to grant Cape Wind Associates all necessary state and local permits to begin construction on a wind farm to be located on Cape Cod’s Horseshoe Shoal, a little more than five miles from Hyannis. Yesterday, the state’s Undersecretary for Energy, Ann Berwick, signed off on the certificate. The project can begin construction once it receives approval from the U.S. Minerals Management Service. Governor Deval Patrick issued a statement of support for the venture: “The time has come to see the first offshore wind farm in America rise off the Massachusetts coast, a powerful symbol of our commitment to a clean energy future.”

Roxanne is an intern in Xconomy's Boston office. You can reach her at rpalmer@xconomy.com.