Did Ted Kennedy really soften his stance on Cape Wind?
WASHINGTON — Senator Edward M. Kennedy has dropped his insistence that Governor Mitt Romney be given the power to veto a giant wind farm proposed off the coast of Cape Cod, in a shift that’s expected to boost efforts to construct the Cape Wind project.
Instead, Kennedy is proposing that the Coast Guard commandant be given final say over whether the wind farm can be constructed, after taking into consideration potential threats to navigation and public safety.
OK, so the question now is how likely the Coast Guard commandant is to scotch the project. Maybe Teddy somehow knows that’s a fait accompli, but I tend to doubt it. From what I know, it seems unlikely that an honest assessment by the Coast Guard would reveal any significant danger — the farm’s already going to be on a shoal.
My question is, will Tom Reilly file to become an intervenor in the historic Vermont Yankee relicensing case? That is an aging nuke plant that is just a few miles north of Massachusetts.
<
p>
Or, is Reilly’s position that the only power plants we should worry about are windmills?
<
p>
Reilly’s predecessors intervened in federal NRC dockets. This one is huge and comes at a time when the nuclear industry is facing no meaningful Federal oversight. And the man is running for Governor. I really do not get this one.
<
p>
Full disclosure: I am for Patrick, but would rather see Reilly get Mass. in the hearing process than get bashed for this.
<
p>
The filing deadline for the relicensing case is tomorrow.
In line with my previous posts on this issue, let me state for the record that supporting Cape Wind as currently proposed is not necessarily the progressive position (am I correct to assume you refer to MA progressives when you say “we?”).
<
p>
If the Cape Wind project is defeated, I won’t lose a bead of sweat in regret, and will continue to advocate more immediate, consequential and cost-effective solutions to global warming, improved regional air quality, economically-just electricity prices for MA residents, and alternative energy development.
<
p>
If it is approved, I’ll get behind it 100-percent –and challenge all of the pro-Cape Wind “progressives” to demonstrate the same zeal for ending energy company subsidies, requiring clean equipment on MA power plants, and improving auto fuel efficiency that was brought to bear on the Wind Farm issue.
… I mean those who support Cape Wind — liberal, conservative, or orthogonal.
What’s with Kennedy? First giving veto power to Romney, and now to the Coast Guard commandant…
<
p>
See, I actually do believe the state should have some say and influence on this matter, but that doesn’t mean giving all the say to one person, no matter who that person is.
<
p>
This should be a matter for the Legislature.
If Teddy really softens it and at least becomes nuetral on the subject, I’ll again be able to “strongly support” him on my website. So far only 3 politicians get that endorsement by me.
I don’t think Kennedy changed his mind. Instead, the rep. and dem ranking member of the senate energy committee were so pissed that they put a hold on the entire coast guard bill so long as it had the Kennedy-Stevens language.
<
p>
When Kennedy saw he couldn’t win, he backed down one step.
<
p>
He is a master legislator. But on this one he was on the wrong side, and I am happy that enough heat was generated to force him to back off.
is that it will get built. Energy prices will continue to go up, and even though energy isn’t 100% fungible (it’s not so easy to take windfarm generated electricity and use it to reduce gasoline prices), that’s the rough perception.
<
p>
When trying to win 1-0, you only have to shoot one scoring goal. When trying to tie 0-0, you must stop every single shot. That’s the scenario with Cape Wind, and eventually, they’ll score the goal. I just hope it’s sooner rather than later.
<
p>
On a side note, I just got back from Ireland and Scotland, two countries which rely substantially on tourism for dollars, and specifically on “enviornmental” tourism — you know, the “oooohh, that landscape is pretty” kind.
<
p>
They’ve got windmills. I saw ’em with mine own eyes, both up close and on mountain peaks in the distance. In fact, as big a wind farm supporter as I am, the only turbine I’d ever seen depoloyed was the IBEW shortie just off the Interstate. To be honest, I wasn’t sure what I’d think of them — are they an eyesore?
<
p>
Not to me they aren’t. I think they’re far more elegant, interesting, and enhancing to the scenery than power lines, mobile phone towers, and so forth.