The U.S. Department of the Interior has approved the Cape Wind project on federal submerged lands in Nantucket Sound, MA, but will require the wind farm’s developer to agree to additional binding measures to minimize the facility’s potential adverse impacts, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said Wednesday.

The expected public benefits of the $1.6 billion project “weigh in favor of approving the Cape Wind project at the Horseshoe Shoal location,” Salazar said. “With this decision we are beginning a new direction in our nation’s energy future, ushering in America’s first offshore wind energy facility and opening a new chapter in the history of this region.”

The Cape Wind Associates LLC facility would occupy a 25-square-mile section of Nantucket Sound and generate a maximum output of 468 MW with an average anticipated output of 182 MW. Plans include a 66.5-mile buried submarine transmission cable system, an electric service platform and two 115-kV lines connecting to the mainland power grid.

The project could supply up to 75% of the electricity for Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket Island, according to Interior. The project would create several hundred construction jobs and be one of the largest greenhouse gas reduction initiatives in the nation, cutting carbon dioxide emissions from conventional power plants by 700,000 tons annually, the department said.

The decision could kickstart the nation’s offshore wind industry, according to some supporters.

“The secretary’s decision is a significant step forward in the effort to create a viable offshore wind industry that could put people to work in the United States and improve our environment and our nation’s energy security,” said Delaware Gov. Jack Markell. The Cape Wind decision could pave the way for construction of the Markell-supported Delaware Offshore Wind Park, a proposed 300 MW facility which would be located 11.5 miles offshore Sussex County, DE.

“Such forward-thinking decisions are necessary for the U.S. to realize the many environmental and economic benefits of offshore wind,” said American Wind Energy Association CEO Denise Bode. “The U.S. offshore wind industry will build on the success and the lessons learned from the nearly 20 years of experience in Europe to provide clean, pollution-free electricity along the coasts and in the Great Lakes…we need comprehensive legislation now with a national renewable electricity standard that will create a long-term market for the onshore and offshore wind industries and a set market for offshore wind that will bring extensive economic development and jobs to nearby areas.”

“This project will serve as a model of innovation as others look at developing coastal wind resources and other clean energy projects across the country,” said Bill Kovacs, U.S. Chamber of Commerce vice president for environment, technology and regulatory affairs.

The Cape Wind project had been opposed by a variety of groups, including the Aquinnah and Mashpee Wamanoag tribes, which requested that Nantucket Sound be listed as a cultural property on the National Register of Historic Places, and the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, which said the project would have a detrimental affect on historic properties. Cape Wind’s opponents have said they are prepared to continue to fight the project in court.

Interior took “extraordinary” steps to fully evaluate Cape Wind’s potential impacts on traditional cultural resources and historic properties, including government-to-government consultations with the tribes, according to Salazar, who said he was “mindful of our unique relationship with the tribes and carefully considered their views and concerns…the need to preserve the environmental resources and rich cultural heritage of Nantucket Sound must be weighed in the balance with the importance of developing new renewable energy sources and strengthening our nation’s energy security while battling climate change and creating jobs.”

“Because of concerns expressed during the consultations, Interior has required the developer to change the design and configuration of the wind turbine farm to diminish the visual effects of the project and to conduct additional seabed surveys to ensure that any submerged archaeological resources are protected prior to bottom disturbing activities,” the department said.

Changes include a reduction in the number of turbines to 130 from the originally proposed 170 to reduce the visual impacts from the Kennedy Compound National Historic Landmark, reconfiguring the array to move the wind farm farther from Nantucket Island and reducing its breadth to mitigate visibility from the Nantucket Historic District, Interior said. In an effort to further mitigate the wind farm’s impact, no daytime lighting will be installed on the turbines unless the U.S. Coast Guard requires “day beacons” to ensure navigation safety, Federal Aviation Administration nighttime lighting requirements have been reduced, and the upland cable transmission route will be located entirely below ground within paved roads and existing utility rights-of-way. Interior will also require additional and detailed marine archaeological surveys and other protective measures in the project area.

Sen. Scott Brown (R-MA), who had asked Salazar to include stakeholders in the Cape Wind decision-making process, on Thursday said he was “strongly opposed to the administration’s misguided decision” to move forward with the project. Construction of the wind farm will jeopardize industries including tourism and fishing, Brown said.

“Instead of forging a coalition and building consensus, this administration has created a deep division that will lead to fewer Massachusetts jobs and more expensive court battles,” he said.

The project has received the support of some environmental groups, including Greenpeace and the Sierra Club.

“Today’s announcement is a huge victory for clean energy,” said Sierra Club Executive Director Michael Brune. “Clean energy like offshore wind power will help create safe, sustainable jobs and true energy independence. Projects like this one will help infuse new life into our economy and help make us a leader in the global clean energy marketplace.”

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