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Despite unemployment rising precipitously, U.S. wind industry jobs jumped to 85,000 in 2008, a 70% increase from 2007. Wind made up 42% of all added 2008 electricity capacity. We can soon start benefiting locally by Cape Wind joining this explosive growth, giving us health, economic, security and other benefits.
Major conclusions in the federal Minerals Management Services’ (MMS) mid-January very favorable Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) on Cape Wind’s proposed project included:
- of negative operation impacts, 3.2% are No Impact, 50% are Negligible, 38.9% are Minor, 6.3% are Moderate, and 1.6% (slightly rerouting the annual Figawi sailboat race) is Major;
- impact to tourism will be negligible and there will be no decrease in beach activity;
- floating wind turbine technology (recently pushed by the Alliance opposing Cape Wind) won’t be commercially available for 10 to 15 years;
- Cape Wind will lower our electricity prices;
- negligible to minor impact on fisheries;
- fossil-fueled plants’ global-warming and other harmful emissions will be reduced;
- no Cape Wind emissions to sea or air;
- world-wide data (including local MMA turbine) showed very few birds will be killed colliding with Cape Wind’s turbines
- no injuries caused to marine mammals;
- nine alternate locations were evaluated - they would all produce more costly (1 to 17.7 cents/kilowatt hour) electricity than Cape Wind; and
- three site-layout alternatives and four types of generation facilities were all found to be less desirable than Cape Wind’s proposal.
With this favorable FEIS expanding on and confirming many previous evaluations, it is sure that we will significantly benefit from Cape Wind.
To support this project, write a brief letter to
Kenneth SalazarSecretary, US Department of the Interior1849 C Street N.W.Washington, DC 20240
and ask them to issue their Record Of Decision promptly.
Jim Liedell
Yarmouth Port
Note: Addressee for letter updated 2/26/09 per email request from Jim Liedell
