Blue Mass Group

Reality-based commentary on politics.

Cape Wind in big, big trouble

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From State House News (sub. req’d):

Congressional conferees developing a Coast Guard Reauthorization bill “have imposed a provision that would likely ban the first offshore wind energy project being developed in the United States,” Cape Wind  President Jim Gordon said in a statement released Thursday night. The provision would allow the governor of any adjacent state to ban offshore wind energy projects in Nantucket Sound “for any reason whatsoever, whether or not the Coast Guard determines the project has an adverse effect on navigation.” … Cape Wind also released statements from Senate Energy & Natural Resources Chairman Pete V. Domenici and Senate Energy Ranking Member Jeff Bingaman in which they decry the process used to insert anti-Cape Wind language into the reauthorization bill.

This is Congress at its absolute worst.  When Domenici and Bingaman agree that this is a rotten way to make policy, you can believe it’s a rotten way to make policy. 

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  3. Does that mean solely Massachusetts in the case of Cape Wind?  If so, this law doesn’t worry me.

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    Deval Patrick supports Cape Wind.  Reilly has been quiet AFAIK.  So, as long as we can get Deval Patrick elected, we’ll get the Wind Farm.  If we can get a majority in either US House or US Senate, we might get it undone.

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    I can say this though: I believe that if Kennedy supported Cape Wind, this wouldn’t have happened.  Furthermore, Kennedy ought to attempt to derail every project our “esteemed” Senator from Alaska tries to get through for the rest of our career.

    • He’s said so repeatedly. 

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      And I think you’re right: Kennedy could have prevented this from happening, and he didn’t.  Everyone has his price, I guess, and the view from the Kennedy compound in Hyannis was his. 

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      Dem majorities in the Senate and House won’t help – this isn’t a particularly partisan issue, it’s a special interest issue. Dems on the conference committee went along with it, as I understand it.

  4. If this bill passes in Congress, could a future governor undo a Romney veto of Cape Wind? If so, it could make this issue more salient in this year’s Democratic primary and in the general election as well.

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    Some may believe that safe, renewable energy is just an issue for the liberals, and that they’re all with Patrick anyway. I don’t think so. Bush would not have said “America is addicted to oil” if his polling wasn’t telling him that this issue has gone mainstream. Last week’s cover story and extensive coverage on climate change in Time is another piece of evidence.

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    I wish Congress wasn’t taking this cynical, backward step. But IMHO anything that means the next governor can influence whether Cape Wind goes forward is good for Deval Patrick.

  5. For crying out loud, it WAS Ted Kennedy who asked for the insertion of the amendment into the Coast Guard bill.

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    To quote the Associated Press – “U.S. Senator Edward Kennedy (D-MA) made a personal appeal last week to Senator Ted Stevens, (R-AK), a committee member and a leading backer of the veto bill.  ‘Senator Kennedy spoke to Senator Stevens in support of this provision,’ said Kennedy spokeswoman Melissa Wagoner.”

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    Don’t you people READ????

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    Better qeustion – what did HE promise Don Young and Ted Stevens?  His vote on ANWR?

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