North American Windpower: Cape Wind Files Petition With Siting Board

by NAW Staff on Monday 26 November 2007

Cape Wind has filed an initial petition with the Massachusetts Energy Facilities Siting Board for a certificate of environmental impact and public interest. The move comes after the Oct. 19 denial of Cape Wind's proposed transmission lines by the Cape Cod Commission.

Cape Wind believes the Cape Cod Commission's decision was flawed and contrary to the public interest and inconsistent with the previous decision of the siting board to approve Cape Wind's electrical interconnection.

According to Cape Wind, the Cape Cod Commission's action stands in sharp contrast to its decision to waive any review of a substantially similar electric cable crossing the same body of water to serve the island of Nantucket.

"With oil approaching $100 per barrel and calls from the scientific community to take action on climate change now, there is growing urgency to deliver the economic and environmental benefits of Cape Wind, and we hope our filing today will help make that happen," says Jim Gordon, president of Cape Wind.

In 2005, the siting board approved Cape Wind's electrical interconnection at the conclusion of a 32-month review. The siting board found that Cape Wind would meet an identified need for electricity and would provide a reliable energy supply for Massachusetts with a minimum impact on the environment at the least cost.

The siting board will conduct its review over the next several months to determine whether Cape Wind should be granted the requested certificate.

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