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Nantucket Sound: Once it's Gone, it's Gone Forever
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Cape Wind does NOT float my boat! Get this limited edition Save Our Sound magnet with every online donation while supplies last.
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Our Position
The Alliance opposes the Cape Wind project for several reasons:
1. Public trust violation
The proposed plant represents seizure of 25 square miles of public trust lands in Nantucket Sound without competitive bidding - by a private for-profit venture. The use of such lands without public involvement in selecting a more appropriate site violates the public trust.
2. Economic effects
The project is a a net cost to the public and would receive well over $1 billion in subsidies and tax credits. It poses economic losses for fishermen, tourism and other businesses, and a loss of property values and the tax base for the region.
3. Environmental hazard
Nantucket Sound is a well-recognized rich ecological resource that qualifies for and deserves federal protected status. A power plant in the midst of this sensitive ecosystem could degrade or destroy vital habitat for birds, fish and other marine life, and pose a serious threat to the near-shore fishing industry.
4. Aesthetic pollution
The proposed wind energy plant is an expansive industrial complex of 130 wind turbines, each 440 feet tall covering a 25 square mile area the size of Manhattan. Flashing red and amber lights, as well as fog horns, would cause visual, noise, and light pollution.
5. Safety hazard
The project poses a clear danger to air and sea navigation, and to the thousands of recreational boaters and commercial fishermen who use Nantucket Sound for their livelihood and leisure. The project is directly adjacent to a major shipping lane and fast ferry routes, posing the threat of an “accident waiting to happen.”
6. Electricity pricing
Because of the high cost of constructing offshore wind projects, wind-generated electricity is expensive to produce. In Long Island where a similar project is being proposed, studies show that wholesale costs could in fact double. And while Cape Wind claims savings of approximately 10 cents per month per New England Household, New England’s Independent System Operator, states that electricity prices will be set for the foreseeable future by the price of natural gas, not renewable energy like Cape Wind .
Alternatives
Many of the same green energy benefits can accrue to Cape Cod and the Islands through the development of deeper water wind sites further from shore. Public and private agencies in Europe are pioneering the way with real-world projects that are located well away from the inherent conflicts of near-shore locations. \Find out more.
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SOS Video Page
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We have put together a page of videos, which includes highlights from the March 2008 MMS public hearings and some interesting local cable access shows. Click here to check out the page! |
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Volunteer Now
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We need you to help stop Cape Wind and preserve Nantucket Sound. Please volunteer today!
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