Cape Wind Voices

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Bill Kovacs
Senior Vice President

Environment, Technology & Regulatory Affairs
U.S. Chamber of Commerce

It has been a long, hard road for Cape Wind, but finally the light at the end of the tunnel is beginning to shine after years of environmental permitting challenges and activist opposition. Since 2001, the Cape Wind project has undergone a comprehensive federal and state permitting review. Opponents of the project have sued over allegations that the turbines would pose navigational and radar hazards, as well as a threat to birds. Affluent homeowners have argued that the unsightliness of the turbines could hurt their views. Indian tribes opposed to the project have even argued that the entire Nantucket Sound should be designated as an Indian historic property for listing on the National Register. The intense scrutiny this project has received has only reinforced its environmental soundness.

Today, Cape Wind is poised to become America’s first offshore wind farm. The ultimate success of this project will reflect the true spirit of American enterprise and entrepreneurship that persevered through mounds of bureaucratic red tape and deep-pocket opposition. Cape Wind will be embraced by the nation and, more importantly, will serve as a model of innovation as others look at developing coastal wind resources and other clean energy projects across the country.

It goes without saying that the development of this project comes at a time when the economy is ailing and Americans are desperate for jobs. Although not a silver bullet, the $1 to $2 billion Cape Wind Project will have a significant economic impact in the Cape Cod community. The project is guaranteed to create up to 1,000 direct, indirect and induced full-time jobs during the pre-operations stage and 154 permanent jobs thereafter, including 50 highly paid maintenance and operations jobs based on Cape Cod.

Projects like Cape Wind not only create jobs and aid our nation’s energy security; they also offer a way to address climate change. Deploying wind, solar, nuclear, and other clean energy technologies will reduce carbon emissions while providing our economy with the fuel and power necessary to grow.

To make these clean energy projects a reality, however, it is important to address what is by far the largest hurdle to developing energy – of any kind – which is the ludicrous amount of time it takes to obtain environmental permits and related approvals for a new project. When you factor in NIMBY opposition, the problem becomes insurmountable. Lawsuits drag on, zoning laws are changed, financing dries up, and ultimately projects stop. All of this is killing jobs and stifling economic development.

To shed a bright light on this problem, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce launched “Project No Project,” an interactive website highlighting the numerous projects, like Cape Wind, that have been delayed or cancelled due to unreasonable opposition. Approximately 400 projects have been identified thus far, valued at over half-trillion dollars and capable of creating well over 200,000 jobs. The site is designed to make government leaders pay attention to this growing problem, and help put the nation’s energy program back on track. To learn where and how our nation’s energy projects have been delayed or stopped, visit www.projectnoproject.com. Together, we need to get these projects back on track, help our nation responsibly meet its energy needs, and spur a robust economic recovery.