Offshore Wind Wire

By David McGlinchey

Massachusetts Attorney General and Senate candidate Martha Coakley last week released an energy white paper that included support for offshore wind and the controversial Cape Wind development.

The plan called for “constructing offshore wind power in New England” as part of a comprehensive national energy plan.

According to recent polls, Coakley is the clear leader in the contest to replace the late Sen. Edward Kennedy.  Kennedy was famously opposed to the Cape Wind proposal for a 130-turbine commercial wind farm between Cape Cod, Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard.  The three other candidates for the Democratic nomination — Rep. Michael Capuano, non-profit executive Alan Khazei and Boston Celtics co-owner Stephen Pagliuca — have also declared their support for Cape Wind.  Republican Scott Brown is the lone Republican in the race and the only candidate to oppose the wind farm.

Coakley told the Cape Cod Times last week that Kennedy’s opposition was “aesthetic” but “unless we push forward with projects like Cape Wind … we’re not ever going to break through on this.”