Tag Archives: Cape Wind
Governor Murphy has a whale of a problem with his offshore energy plan
“Circumambulate the city of a dreamy Sabbath afternoon … Things have changed a lot since 1851, when Herman Melville wrote those words. But the Atlantic Ocean hasn’t. People still wander to its shores to gaze at an ocean devoid of man-made objects. But not for long, not if Phil Murphy gets his way. In his State of the State address, Gov. Phil Murphy boasted of his plan to have hundreds of wind turbines built offshore, some more than 900 feet tall. The governor also mentioned his commitment to “environmental justice.” We are used to looking at the ocean as public, but the Murphy administration wants to award large chunks of it to multinational corporations such as Royal Dutch Shell. We’re seeing that with groups like the Sierra Club and the Audubon Society. >click to read< 11:39
On This Day: Feb 25th, 2005, Environmental non-profit group endorses ill fated Cape Wind
On this day in 2005, the environmental non-profit Coalition for Buzzards Bay announced “its satisfaction with the current review” for the Cape Wind to build a wind farm in Nantucket Sound, according to a statement released by the coalition. The coalition said its qualified support for the Nantucket Sound wind farm was based on a “thorough review of the Army Corp of Engineers’ Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS).” This led coalition members to conclude that the project would bring about “significant environmental benefits” for Buzzards Bay and the region while “any environmental impacts are likely to be minor, temporary, and/or outweighed by the significant environmental benefits of developing such a renewable energy facility.” >click to read< 07:14
How fishermen could thwart Cuomo’s offshore wind master plan
In the mist off New England’s coast, towering alien monoliths pierce the surging waters, soaring 600 to 850 feet above the Atlantic Ocean. Hundreds of these titans, rising up to 200 feet taller than Trump Tower, chop the air with massive blades that are taller than Albany’s Capitol building. Offshore wind turbines like these, Gov. Andrew Cuomo says, are a critical part of his clean energy mandate to generate 50 percent of the state’s electricity from renewable energy. But those humble fishermen are threatening to derail the governor’s goals with a federal lawsuit they believe is their last best shot to save their livelihoods. >click to read<21:41
BREAKING! Cape Wind gives up federal lease
Cape Wind Associates announced today that it has seized the development of its proposed offshore wind farm and is surrendering its federal lease for 46 square miles in Nantucket Sound, officially putting an end to a sixteen year effort to build the controversial project. click here to read the story 14:36
As US’ first offshore wind farm takes root, study indicates wind may be more powerful, turbulent than expected
University of Delaware researchers report in a new study that offshore wind may be more powerful, yet more turbulent than expected in the North Eastern United States. The findings, published in a paper in theJournal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, could have important implications for the future development of offshore wind farms in the U.S., including the assessment of how much wind power can be produced, what type of turbines should be used, how many turbines should be installed and the spacing between each. The paper’s main finding is that atmospheric conditions around Cape Wind are predominantly turbulent, or unstable, which is in stark contrast to prevailing data from European offshore wind farms in the Baltic Sea and the North Sea. “By contrast, our study found that wind conditions at Cape Wind are unstable between 40 and 80 percent of the time, depending on season and time of day,” Read the story here 20:55
Cape Wind Project: A Tale of Crony Environmentalism (Part 2) Did Mass Audubon Sell its Soul to the Wind Industry?
As an environmentalist and bird lover, it gives me no pleasure to criticize the largest conservation organization in New England; an organization of which I am a member. Personal conflict aside, it seems apparent that Massachusetts Audubon Society’s support for a massive industrial project threatens thousands of birds a year.,, Case in point: Cape Wind poses a serious threat to marine mammals, yet is one of their biggest cheerleaders. Cape Wind Project: A Tale of Crony Environmentalism Read part 1 here, Read part 2 here 15:51
Cape Wind ending Quonset lease option
Sources confirmed Friday that Cape Wind Associates LLC has ended payments and an existing lease agreement option with Quonset Business Park in North Kingstown. Ending the agreement option marks another sign of an ailing wind farm company, as Cape Wind took a major blow earlier this month after losing two significant electricity contracts. Read the rest here 09:13
Cape Wind project is dealt a major setback. NSTAR Pulls the Plug!
NSTAR, a Northeast Utilities subsidiary, informed Cape Wind officials of its decision late Tuesday, officials said. “Unfortunately, Cape Wind has 
,” Northeast Utilities spokeswoman Caroline Pretyman said in an email. “Additionally, Cape Wind has chosen not to exercise their right to post financial security in order to extend the contract deadlines. Therefore the contract is now terminated.” Read the rest here 20:38
Is Cape Wind Dead? Leading Constitutional Law Expert: Expensive Cape Wind Power Contract “Forced Down NSTAR’s Throat”
“The Settlement Agreement between NSTAR, the Department of Energy Resources and Cape Wind makes it crystal clear that the only reason NSTAR agreed to buy Cape Wind power was to secure the Department’s support for the NSTAR-Northeast Utilities merger,” said Tribe. “If that merger fell through, then NSTAR was relieved of its obligation to purchase electricity from Cape Wind.” Read the rest here 13:55
Time to unplug Cape Wind
I read with interest the report on the Fishermen’s Association (Sept. 4, “Two Island fishermen’s groups steer different courses”). It has served its purpose it seems by relinquishing and reversing the opinion of the fishermen to protect Horseshoe Shoal for fish, namely fluke and flounder, and take the promised $1.25 million. 10:43
FEDERAL COURT DECISION ON CAPE WIND NSTAR CONTRACT “GRAVELY FLAWED”
“DOER … saw NSTAR’s merger application as an opportunity to accomplish through backroom strong-arming what Massachusetts was not lawfully permitted to do openly and directly: to compel NSTAR to enter a contract procuring electricity from Cape Wind at a price high enough to allow Cape Wind to build,” according to the brief. Read more here 19:27
Massachusetts: “Hey ! your going the wrong way.” Renewable Energy Failures Mount, While in RI,,,
Remember Governor Patrick (the guy fighting Commerce for Fish Aid?) wanted the Massachusetts taxpayers to build the 91 million dollar “ship to no where” in 2010? Governor Patrick proposed a specialized “jack up” vessel for installing offshore wind farms. Who exactly is determining the direction of spending hundreds of millions of Massachusetts taxpayer dollars on ocean wind turbine projects ? You’ve gotta Read more here! 19:21
Deepwater Wind critic alleges mishandling of public hearings The complaint filed on July 11 centers on Shields’ testimony at a CRMC subcommittee hearing on Feb. 27, when he alleges the subcommittee members prevented him and two other individuals from testifying on the potential negative economic impact of the wind farm, while proponents of Deepwater Wind were allowed to comment on project costs and economics without interruption. 20:40
Appeal challenges federal court decision of Cape Wind’s NSTAR contract
In an appeal of a federal court decision which dismissed a multi-party challenge of Cape Wind’s high priced contract with NSTAR, Laurence Tribe, an expert in constitutional law, will argue that the decision by U.S. District Court Judge Richard Stearns favors Massachusetts regulators, NSTAR and Cape Wind and seriously misinterprets the Constitution’s Eleventh Amendment in dismissing the case brought forth by the Alliance, the Town of Barnstable and a group of local businesses and residents. Read more here 17:31
Whitfield Responds to Obama’s Latest “Green Energy” Gamble
“We’ve seen time and time again this administration provide billions of dollars of taxpayers’ money for green energy projects that have failed, leaving taxpayers on the hook. I have a number of concerns with this administration’s reckless decision to back Cape Wind,” Read more here 18:36
The Morons at NMFS, US Fish and Wildlife, Rubber Stamp Cape Wind
A day after the U.S. Department of Energy conditionally approved a $150 million loan for Cape Wind, two other federal agencies on Wednesday filed required paperwork that seemingly gives the project’s developer another in a string of legal victories. Read more here 06:20
Cape Wind farm opponents fight lawsuit dismissal
The lawsuit, which is the latest in a string of failed challenges to the project, claimed state regulators’ approval of an above-market contract to sell power from the project to NStar, which delivers power to Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard and other parts of the state, violated two clauses of the U.S. Constitution: the Commerce Clause and the Supremacy Clause. Read more here 08:00
Ed Markey, lawmakers rake in Cape Wind dollars “It just doesn’t smell right,”
Cape Wind executives and lobbyists have poured hundreds of thousands of dollars since last year into the campaign coffers of key lawmakers — including more than $50,000 to U.S. Sen. Edward J. Markey — as developers of the controversial offshore wind farm seek nearly $1.3 billion in federal cash and loan guarantees, a Herald review found. Read more here 09:29
Cape Wind blows past another legal challenge
The Anti Fish
BOSTON — A federal judge has dismissed the latest efforts by opponents to derail a proposed offshore wind farm in Nantucket Sound. “There comes a point at which the right to litigate can become a vexatious abuse of the democratic process. For that reason, I have dealt with this matter as expeditiously as possible,” Stearns wrote. Read more here 10:11
Cape Wind: The windy 10-year war
The state of Massachusetts, in its nutty devotion to wind-powered, ocean-based generating plants deployed, in cooperation with the federal government, in a strangling circle around the Vineyard, does not feel your pain. Indeed, the state’s aim is not only to conspire over the Cape Wind project, but to elbow aside valid economic and environmental concerns,,,mvtimes Read more here 08:42
Cape Wind’s unlucky 13 years
But Cape Wind’s impacts extend far beyond the environment. The controversial project would also jeopardize public safety, put fishermen’s livelihoods at risk and desecrate sacred tribal lands. capecodonline Read more here 11:11
British fisheries consultant urges ‘coexistence’ with offshore wind – They said we could co exist with the Red Coats, too!
He said the best advice for the New Bedford fleet was to cooperate with the wind farm developers as early as possible in order to have a say in the process. His comments on the offshore wind industry were met with skepticism by some in the audience, like Jim Kendall, who said local offshore wind developers like Cape Wind had not been cooperating with the fishing industry. Good on you Jim Kendall! Read more here 12:53
Cape Wind falls short on too many promises
Given Cape Wind’s promises to New Bedford, it’s no wonder that Matthew Morrissey from New Bedford’s Wind Energy Center is such an ardent supporter (“Guest View: Cape Wind opponents ignore too many facts,” March 26). Read more here 08:16
Is Cape Wind going forward?
Parker said the Alliance to Protect Nantucket Sound has around 30,000 supporters, who come from all income levels and social backgrounds. They are largely a grassroots organization that arose after Jim Gordon proposed to build a 25 square mile wind power plant, in public waters between mainland Cape Cod and the islands of Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket, in 2001. Read more here 03:51
Court environmental victory is major setback for Cape Wind
Federal agencies violated Endangered Species Act and must go back to the drawing board to evaluate impacts and protection measures for birds and right whales. …The plaintiffs have long argued that Nantucket Sound is the wrong place for this project. The court’s decision requires the federal government to go back to the drawing board to take the required hard look at the impacts that make Cape Wind’s proposal so harmful for the environment. Read more here 13:03
Alliance to Protect Nantucket Sound: Cape Wind foes sue FAA over access to air traffic data
The primary opposition group fighting the proposed Nantucket Sound wind farm has filed another related lawsuit, this time against the Federal Aviation Administration for not turning over documents that were part of a Freedom of Information Act request. Read more here capecodonline 07:33
Bait and Switch, eco nut style by Wealth Foundation lackey Lew Milford – How the Right uses environmental law to kill American jobs?
No, that was not the title of the recent New York Times article about the Cape Wind offshore wind project. But it should have been. By Lew Milford , President of Clean Energy Group. Read more [email protected] More of the same Pew/CLF hogwash. 12:52
New Alliance to Protect Nantucket Sound Cape Wind lawsuit: Mass. exceeded its authority
The suit alleges that state regulators exceeded their authority in setting wholesale rates for the contract in violation of both the Federal Power Act and the Supremacy Clause of the U.S. Constitution, which reserves that power for the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. Read more@southcoasttoday 10:12:29
Boston Herald Editorial: Tilting at … you know – It’s a poorly kept secret that the Patrick administration engaged in a form of state-sanctioned extortion. Now the lawsuit will seek to prove that NStar was forced to agree to buy that expensive power from Cape Wind or risk having state regulators oppose the firm’s merger with Northeast Utilities.
No green light for Cape Wind – Cape offshore wind energy foes suffer setback
The U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday denied a petition by wind-farm opponents appealing the Federal Aviation Administration’s approval of the proposed Nantucket Sound project. “The Alliance to Protect Nantucket, the town of Barnstable and their financial backer — coal billionaire Bill Koch — have failed yet again in their continuing campaign to use the courts to delay the financing of Cape Wind,” company spokeswoman Mark Rodgers wrote in a statement about the decision. Read more@capecodonline 08:56
Letter: Cape Wind’s Maine deal cuts Mass. short – Matthew A.M. Lash, National Electrical Contractors Association of Greater Boston
Over $100 million of high-road jobs are in the air — and they’re blowing north to Maine. After years of touting projected economic benefits to the commonwealth, Cape Wind and its turbine provider, Siemens, recently inked a $100 million-plus contract with Maine-based Cianbro Corp. to construct substantial elements of the offshore wind development planned for the Massachusetts coast. Read more@southcoasttoday 12:15
New Bedford Marine Commerce Terminal: Dirty Little Secret
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