The Cape Wind Project in Context

Abstract

The Cape Wind Project is proposed to be America’s first offshore wind farm. It is envisioned to be located on Horseshoe Shoal in Nantucket Sound, miles from the nearest shore, where 130 wind turbines will harness the wind to produce up to 420 megawatts of energy. Under average wind conditions, the Cape Wind Project could provide up to three quarters of the electricity needs of Cape Cod and the Islands in the southern coast of Massachusetts. Although from the point of view of energy production, it taps into a clean, renewable, and environmentally advantageous source, it is not a project without controversy. The project has experienced opposition from those concerned with other factors, such as visual impacts, potential impacts to boating, bird flight patterns, and more. But there is also significant support from environmental and labor groups, and the project has received favorable reviews by permitting agencies. This paper presents the project within the context of the company that is developing the project, its founder’s vision, and the technical, environmental legal, public relations, and political issues encountered in its history from 2000 to 2008. The problems of global warming caused by greenhouse gas emissions and the European experience with wind power are also recognized in context. While the need for and usage of electric power energy grows annually, this project can be seen as a business case study of the trade-offs the United States must face for its energy future.