ABC News, More Ocean off Massachusetts Open for Wind Energy

Governor Deval Patrick and United States Interior Secretary Sally Jewell have announced that more than 742,000 acres off the coast of Massachusetts will soon be opening up for commercial wind energy leases. Located twelve miles off shore and to the south of Martha’s vineyard, the area is larger than Rhode Island and will double the amount of offshore acreage currently available for commercial scale wind energy projects.

• U.S. Interior Scretary Sally Jewell has said that fourteen companies have expressed interest in leasing space in the project so far and this number is expected to grow.
• The first offshore wind farm scheduled to be built in the United States, the Cape Wind Project near Nantucket, has been fraught with opposition and lawsuits over the past twelve years but has served as a model for federal regulators as they have looked to identify areas going forward that can generate electricity without opposition.
• The number of wind turbines to be built will be determined as each specific site is examined as well as the associated economic needs and environmental impacts.
• Governor Patrick, who’s state has no oil or coal reserves, is looking to the Massachusetts’ wind projects as a way to create “Massachusetts-made” energy.

Article Link: ABC News