The federal government approved Wednesday the nation’s first offshore wind farm off the coast of Cape Cod, after nine years of regulatory review. The 130 Cape Wind turbines would lie in Nantucket Sound, about five miles from the nearest shoreline, and cover 24 square miles. The tip of the highest blade of each turbine would reach 440 feet above the water. While supporters say the $1 billion project would provide a clean, renewable source of energy, opponents warn improvements to the region’s electrical grid and transmission lines could cost $10 billion. The Federal Aviation Administration has yet to make a final determination on the project, which it has rated “a presumed hazard” because of potential interference with airplane radar.Read more in the New York Times.
First Offshore Wind Farm in U.S. Approved
