Coast Guard Bill Passes, Cape Wind Moves Forward!

For a while it looked like America’s first offshore wind project might be dead in the water. But thanks to a massive public outcry, some of the project’s most powerful Congressional opponents have figured out which way the political winds are blowing.

Despite backroom deals and dirty politics, development of America’s first offshore wind project will move ahead.  The Coast Guard Reauthorization bill passed in Congress today, after an amendment giving the Governor of Massachusetts the power to veto the project was removed.

On June 21st, Senate Energy and Natural Resources Chairman Pete Domenici and Ranking Member Jeff Bingaman reached an agreement with Senator Ted Kennedy (D-MA) and Senator Ted Stevens (R-AK) on changes to an amendment of the Coast Guard reauthorization bill. This amendment would have given Governor Mitt Romney, who has gone on record opposing the project, a damaging final say over the fate of Cape Wind. The changes made to this amendment give the Coast Guard a final say over any possible navigational hazards of the wind project.

The bill passed this afternoon with a vote of 413 to 0.

This is a positive step forward, but we won’t declare victory until we have Cape Wind producing clean energy for Massachusetts.

This offshore wind project, located in Nantucket Sound, will provide 75 percent of Cape Cod’s energy needs with clean and safe wind power. As America’s first offshore wind project, Cape Wind will set an important precedent in the fight to turn the tide of global warming. We hope you will join us in supporting these projects –  say “Yes to Wind!”