It only took nine years: Interior signs off on Cape Wind offshore wind farm

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After nine years of legal and regulatory wrangling and controversy, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar signed the lease on Cape Wind, the country's first large-scale offshore wind farm. While the signing makes the deal official, it could be considered largely a formality because Interior approved the Cape Wind Associates LLC project in April, with provisions that the company make several changes in the design and configuration of the project to accommodate concerns raised by opponents. The $1 billion wind farm, to be located five miles off the Massachusetts coastline, has been loudly opposed by a group of well-heeled and well-organized Cape Cod residents who argued that the project's 130 wind turbines would spoil their view, and two Iocal Indian tribes that argued that it would have an impact on cultural and religious resources and properties. Secretary Salazar said the signing signified that "... the renewable energy world is opening a new frontier." He made the remark during an address to the American Wind Energy Association in Atlantic City. The initial approval has been hailed as a "major breakthrough" for the country, renewable energy and other states that have offshore wind farms in various stages of development. Interior has promised to speed up the approval process for proposed offshore farms. Salazar also approved the country's first large-scale solar plants to be built on public lands this week.

Quick Take: While the Cape Wind lease signing is largely a formality, it's got to be encouraging for developers in this relatively new technology that could supply massive amounts of clean energy.

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