Government Approves First US Offshore Wind Farm

RobotRunAmok writes "In a groundbreaking decision that some say will usher in a new era of clean energy, US Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said today he was approving the nation's first offshore wind farm, the controversial Cape Wind project off of Cape Cod. The project has undergone years of environmental review and political maneuvering, including opposition from the late Senator Edward M. Kennedy, whose home overlooks Nantucket Sound, and from Wampanoag Indian tribes who complained that the 130 turbines, which would stand more than 400 feet above the ocean surface, would disturb spiritual sun greetings and possibly ancestral artifacts and burial grounds on the seabed. But George Bachrach, president of the Environmental League of Massachusetts, hailed the decision, saying it was 'a critical step toward ending our reliance on foreign oil and achieving energy independence.'"

About damn time.

[goodmanj]

As a resident of SE Mass, I'm thrilled. Just think: Massachusetts has enough windy coastline to power most of the state with turbine farms. All we need to do is go through this process another 30-40 times! We should be done by the year 2500 or so!

Figures

[oldhack]

Bean town gets the first windmill farm.

How it should have been advertised

[Anonymous Coward]

Government approves offshore wind farm, with the caveat that they are responsible for the cleanup of wind spills.

Re:About damn time.

[davester666]

Yes, but what happens when all the politician's move away because these wind turbines are an eyesore? Is it easy to relocate the turbines to wherever the politicians relocate to?

Re:Good start but

[WCguru42]

- don't block the sunset as much for the same reason

I was with you up until this point. This is Massachusetts, the east coast. As the Chili Peppers said, "The sun may rise in the east at least it settles in a final location."

Re:About damn time.

[Yvan256]

When the wind stops, just connect a whole lot of fans to Flander's house.

Re:Flashback!

[eln]

From what I understand, the objection of the Indian tribes was that it might disturb ancient burial grounds that are on land that used to be above water but now isn't. I find it hard to believe they've kept track of where any of those burial grounds are since they've presumably been underwater for many decades, but I suppose we could find them by burying dead pets in the ocean floor and seeing which ones come back to life, then simply avoiding those areas.

Re:Yea!

[ascari]

Senator Kennedy didn't want to see the turbines in HIS view. Now that he has went to Hell progress will be rapid.

Not for everyone: By the same token geothermal energy is doomed...

Re:that's great but...

[Obfuscant]

We have plenty of good locations to put turbines, we just lack the political will to get it done.

Yeah, you just need to find the places where people don't mind the ugly behemoths rumbling all the time, high enough to be in a constant wind.

Sorta like the mountaintops that have become national parks and forestlands out here in the west. Cut down a bunch of those damn trees, move the hippie-treehuggers living in them to the city, and put up turbines. Or let the hippies live in the turbines in exchange for maintenance.

Look out, though. Those on the east coast are likely to start blowing the volcanic ash from Iceland back onto the US...

It is new...

[NotQuiteReal]

Here is a list of offshore wind farms [wikipedia.org]

There aren't that many and all but a hand full were just opened in years that start with "20" (e.g. there are only 5 that opened in "19xx" and they are all "199x"...)

Re:About damn time.

[biryokumaru]

Nuclear power is a terrible plan! When that fuel runs out in, like, 100 years, those windmills will still be... rusted to dust 80 years ago... hmm...

Re:Flashback!

[mattack2]

Because they're all haunted.

Jeez, haven't you seen any movies?

Re:About damn time.

[biryokumaru]

Yes, well... just because I'm totally and completely wrong doesn't mean that... um... shuddup with your right-ness, that's what!

Offshore casinos!

[mveloso]

Once they get the rights to build casinos alongside the wind farms they'll come on board.

Re:About damn time.

[TheRaven64]

Most engineers learn in the first year of their degree that there is a difference between a structure and a mechanism. As I recall, one requires duck tape, while the other requires WD-40, to fix, although there may have been more to it than that...

Re:About damn time.

[TheRaven64]

your a fucking retard

Oh, the irony.

Re:About damn time.

[tpgp]

your a fucking retard, i this is the 3rd hit on google.

Normally I don't comment on others' grammar/punctuation, but that's gold.

Hahahaha. Retard indeed.