| Ending of fuels and lack of energy | | | | under the management of the State Of |
| Over the past 100 years many new electrical | | | | Massachusetts. Beyond three miles, where the project |
| appliances such as dishwashers, microwaves, and air | | | | is proposed, is managed by the Federal Government. |
| conditioners have been invented. Because of these | | | | However, to the residents of the Cape and the Islands, |
| inventions, we are using more energy than ever | | | | the project is seen as being built in their back yard. |
| before. It is predicted that the fossil fuels we currently | | | | In fact, opposition to the project has been extensive |
| use for sources of energy will be used up within | | | | and public opinion polls on Cape Cod have consistently |
| 50-200 years. When this happens, cities all over the | | | | shown the population evenly divided on Cape Wind. |
| world will need alternative sources of energy. | | | | There are several reasons for the extent of the |
| Fortunately there are several renewable energy | | | | opposition to the project. The tourist trade on the |
| sources being developed and used all over the world. | | | | Cape accounts for about nineteen thousand jobs and |
| It is the year 2080, and Electric City is in the midst of | | | | if the sight of the wind turbines hurts tourism on the |
| an energy crisis. Recent power outages have left | | | | Cape, jobs would be lost and the economy and |
| outraged citizens without the use of computers, home | | | | property values would become depressed. While the |
| entertainment centers, light, and cordless phones. | | | | initial environmental draft study said damage to wildlife |
| Outages are blamed on the lack of fuel to run the | | | | in the area would not be significant, many people |
| Electric City Power Plant, which generates all electricity | | | | remain concerned about the effect of wind turbines on |
| for the city. Up until now, coal has been the city's only | | | | the marine environment of the area. Concern for birds |
| source of energy. It has always been cheap and easily | | | | flying into the turbines is also an issue. Some would |
| accessible, but supplies are dwindling quickly. | | | | argue that the solution is not wind power, but other |
| Wind energy in USA | | | | alternatives like hydrogen and those solutions to |
| Wind is the world’s fastest growing alternative | | | | energy problems will be found in solar power or fuel |
| energy resource. In the United States wind turbines in | | | | cells, not in wind power. |
| twenty seven states create enough power for more | | | | If you are an environmentalist and you live on Cape |
| than one million families. The Altamont Pass in northern | | | | Cod, Martha’s Vineyard or Nantucket, the |
| California is home to the country’s oldest wind farm | | | | proposed offshore wind farm presents a real dilemma |
| which is also the world’s largest inland installation | | | | for you. The project would provide clean energy but |
| with seven thousand turbines. | | | | would invade a pristine, natural ocean area. It could be |
| Cape Town wind energy | | | | viewed as a way to reduce air pollution or a problem |
| Several years ago, Cape Wind proposed | | | | for marine and avian species. It can be viewed as a |
| America’s first offshore wind farm on Horseshoe | | | | way to replace our dependency on foreign oil or |
| Shoal in Nantucket Sound. Miles from the nearest | | | | another government financed equivalent to the Big Dig. |
| shore, one hundred and thirty wind turbines that will | | | | It can be viewed as a progressive solution to problems |
| reach a height of two hundred and sixty three feet | | | | in our environment or a way for greedy developers to |
| would produce up to four hundred and twenty | | | | spoil the Cape Cod area further. |
| megawatts of clean, renewable energy. In average | | | | The project of wind turbines on Nantucket Sound is |
| winds, Cape Wind will provide three quarters of the | | | | unique in that it’s an argument of environmentalist |
| Cape and Islands electricity needs. The wind turbines | | | | against environmentalist. There is no pure "green" |
| will be spaced six to nine football fields apart, allowing | | | | solution to the issue. You can see wind turbines as a |
| navigational room for shallow draft boats that pass | | | | progressive solution to the energy issues of our |
| through or fish Horseshoe Shoal. The turbines would | | | | generation. However, wind turbines can also be seen |
| be located in 24 square miles of Nantucket Sound. | | | | an ugly invasion by man into an ocean where he does |
| General Electric wind generators designed for | | | | not belong with the potential to create havoc (in ways |
| offshore use would be utilized. The site was chosen | | | | we do not yet understand) to marine and avian |
| because it was highly favorable for wind development | | | | species. |
| (maybe the best in the East Coast). The area has | | | | These are the complex economic and environmental |
| strong steady winds and is close to onshore power | | | | issues for the residents of Cape Cod and the Islands |
| lines while being protected from high waves. The | | | | to consider concerning the Cape Wind proposal of |
| completion for permitting is scheduled in 2008 and the | | | | America’s first offshore wind farm on Nantucket |
| project completion timeline is 2010. | | | | Sound. |
| In a legal sense everything three nautical miles out are | | | | |