Offshore Wind Wire

By David McGlinchey

The Cape Cod Times reported today that interim Massachusetts Senator Paul Kirk has asked President Obama to delay a final decision on the Cape Wind commercial wind farm.

According to a copy of the letter, Kirk asked Obama to push back final permitting for the proposed 130-turbine wind farm until a comprehensive national ocean plan has been finalized.  Kirk is serving as the interim senator from Massachusetts following the death of famed Cape Wind opponent Sen. Edward Kennedy.  Kirk is viewed as a Kennedy family loyalist and was appointed by Gov. Deval Patrick to fill the seat until the Jan. 19 special election to choose a replacement.

Obama formed the Interagency Ocean Policy Task Force in June.  The Task Force is required to produce “a recommended framework for effective coastal and marine spatial planning” by early December.

Kirk wrote that he “strongly supports” the national ocean planning process.  He wrote also, however, that authorizing a wind farm in federal waters ahead of the ocean plan would subject Nantucket Sound to a lower level of review than all other federal waters.

“Rushing to complete Interior’s review of the Cape Wind proposal without the benefit of the requirements and guidance of your Administration’s National Policy would irreversibly establish two difference sets of rules,” Kirk wrote.  “One set of rules would be based on well-deliberated, science-based comprehensive management principles … the other would apply to a single developer.”