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Myth: Cape Wind has cleared most regulatory hurdles.

Fact: Cape Wind is not a done deal.

Cape Wind needs to obtain each and every one of 20 some odd local, state, and federal permits that govern this project. At this point, Cape Wind has only one conditional permit for the transmission cable from the Massachusetts Energy Facilities Siting Board, and a certificate of adequacy from the state of Massachusetts on its environmental report. This certificate represents but the start of the state permitting process.

One permit denial by any one of the reviewing agencies preserves Nantucket Sound as it was intended to be when it was first designated a state ocean sanctuary in 1970. One permit denial also leaves the door open to find an appropriate site for an offshore wind project that would actually help grow this important industry rather than bog it down with a controversial and irresponsibly sited project.

The Minerals Management Service (MMS), the federal agency charged with reviewing the Cape Wind project, released its Draft Environmental Impact Statement in January. The week of March 10, MMS held a series of public hearings on the Cape Wind DEIS in Yarmouth, Nantucket, Martha's Vineyard, and Boston. Through oral testimony and written comments, Cape Cod stakeholders and elected officials condemned Cape Wind and criticized a deeply flawed DEIS. MMS is presently reviewing over 40,000 public comments and is expected to issue a Final Environmental Impact Statement and subsequent Record of Decision in early 2009.