Coast Guard to Delay Giving Advice on Cape Wind Farm's Environmental Impact

by Climate Weekly – Dec. 16, 2008

About a week after the Coast Guard commander in charge of the proposed Cape Wind Farm project, to be located in Nantucket Sound, said that it doesn't pose significant problems for marine radar and that he classified the project as "doable," the Coast Guard announced that it would hold off on making any recommendations on moving forward with the project for one month, at the behest of Minnesota Rep. James L. Oberstar, whose House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee oversees the Coast Guard. According to a report by The Boston Globe, it is unclear whether the delay will stall an environmental review of the proposed wind farm, which would be the first U.S.-based offshore windfarm and would provide up to 420 megawatts of renewable energy to Cape Cod and the Islands off of Massachusetts–enough to meet about 75 percent of that region's electrical needs.

In a letter to Coast Guard Commandant Thad Allen, Oberstar urged greater scrutiny of the Coast Guard's study, which explored the wind farm's potential impact on ships' radar systems. In response to Oberstar's letter, the Coast Guard will seek public comment over a 30-day period before issuing its recommendation. It is slated to hold a public hearing on the matter on Dec. 18 in Falmouth, Mass.

The Minerals Management Service (MMS), which gets the final say on the environmental impact of the wind farm, told The Globe that it will wait for the Coast Guard's recommendation before issuing its findings. If the MMS issues a favorable review, it's likely that the project will be able to obtain leasing permits from the federal government to construct wind turbines in Nantucket Shoals.