The AWEA Blog: Into the Wind


Why Cape Wind? Investing in America's energy future, not just Canada’s

Posted: 2011-07-20 Tom Gray

The Wall Street Journal carried an opinion article recently by Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., again attacking the proposed Cape Wind offshore wind farm in Nantucket Sound and recommending purchasing electricity for New England instead from giant Canadian utility Hydro Quebec.

This is reminiscent of how the U.S.--25 years after dominating the world wind energy industry in the early 1980s--finds itself today playing catch-up in the race to attract the factories and jobs needed for a robust domestic supply chain. We temporarily abandoned our wind industry in 1985 because of short-sighted concerns over the cost of competing, while other more far-sighted countries forged ahead. Today uncertain federal policies still threaten U.S. wind developers and manufacturers.

Today, Germany, Denmark and the U.K. are already installing large offshore wind projects and planning to build more, many more, in the future. In the process, they are further building their manufacturing base and gathering invaluable experience in installing, operating and servicing these giant turbines.

AWEA supports sourcing our energy needs from within the United States, adding not only domestic energy supplies, but also creating more jobs here and expanding the U.S. manufacturing base. That will not happen if New England instead purchases more hydropower from Canada, when domestic wind energy can supply what is needed.


2 responses

  1. mark cool July 22, 2011 06:13AM
    This whole debacle is precipitated because MA is mandating extensively more wind energy through its Green Communities Act (2008). This in itself is an extraordinary matter that has escaped critical journalistic scrutiny. If renewable energies (wind especially) are so beneficial and cost competitive (which are the claims of their lobbyists-AWEA) WHY would the state FORCE their utilities (and citizens) to use these? MA (state) is mandating wind energy on its citizens and one would assume that the state would both - take steps to see that MA citizens receive genuine energy & environmental benefits from the mandate - do an objective comprehensive analysis to assure that the cost of such benefits were either commensurate or less than other alternatives. Nothing remotely like this has come close to happening! Contrast the lack of MA wind energy regulation to the fact that there are easily a hundred studies, reports and articles (written by independent scientists and experts) on just wind development’s adverse affects on human health, safety and environment. There is a great need to Question... Cape Wind!
  2. mark cool July 22, 2011 06:13AM
    This whole debacle is precipitated because MA is mandating extensively more wind energy through its Green Communities Act (2008). This in itself is an extraordinary matter that has escaped critical journalistic scrutiny. If renewable energies (wind especially) are so beneficial and cost competitive (which are the claims of their lobbyists-AWEA) WHY would the state FORCE their utilities (and citizens) to use these? MA (state) is mandating wind energy on its citizens and one would assume that the state would both - take steps to see that MA citizens receive genuine energy & environmental benefits from the mandate - do an objective comprehensive analysis to assure that the cost of such benefits were either commensurate or less than other alternatives. Nothing remotely like this has come close to happening! Contrast the lack of MA wind energy regulation to the fact that there are easily a hundred studies, reports and articles (written by independent scientists and experts) on just wind development’s adverse affects on human health, safety and environment. There is a great need to Question... Cape Wind!

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