Greenpeace and The White House Bash Kennedy Wind Farm Veto

[Guest guest]

Wow, Greenpeace and the Bush White House are on the same side for this

one ... THAT is news *lol*

 

*Smile*

Chris (list mom)

http://www.alittleolfactory.com

 

 

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Saturday, May 6, 2006 10:04 a.m. EDT

 

Greenpeace and White House Bash Kennedy Wind Farm Veto

 

The Bush administration and two influential senators weighed in Friday

against a provision that would block a 130-turbine wind farm off Cape

Cod, where some of Washington's most powerful have vacation retreats.

The wind farm, which would be located in Nantucket Sound about six miles

off shore, has been a focus of controversy for five years. Developers

won favorable environmental reviews and hoped to have it completed in

2009. A provision tucked into a bill authorizing activities for the U.S.

Coast Guard would give Massachusetts's governor a veto over the project,

although the turbines would be located in federal waters. Massachusetts

Gov. Mitt Romney opposes the project.

 

Energy Undersecretary David Garman on Friday called the provision

" unwise " at a time when President Bush and many members of Congress are

trying to spur the development of wind turbines as an alternative for

generating electricity.

 

The Republican chairman and the ranking Democrat of the Energy and

Natural Resources Committee vowed to block the Coast Guard bill unless

the provision is removed. Sens. Pete Domenici, R-N.M., and Jeff

Bingaman, D-N.M., said that interfering in the project in this way and

at this late date would have a chilling effect on investments in

renewable energy and conflicts with the need to develop alternative

energy sources. " It sets a terrible precedent " to allow governors to

veto such projects, Domenici said.

 

Sen. Ted Stevens, R-Alaska, added the provision during negotiations with

the Ho a final version of the Coast Guard bill. Stevens consulted with

Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass., whose family retreat is eight miles

from the proposed wind farm. Kennedy and other members of the

Massachusetts congressional delegation oppose the project, but he has

denied that personal considerations are involved. Aaron Saunders, a

spokesman for Stevens, said the Alaska senator viewed it as a matter of

state's rights. " He and Sen. Kennedy spoke about the issue. Sen. Kennedy

expressed his opinions on them and Sen. Stevens agreed. " " If this were a

project off the coast of Alaska, he (Stevens) believes the citizens of

Alaska should have a say on where that project should be located, "

Saunders said.

 

Cape Wind spokesman Mark Rodgers said the company has spent $23 million

so far, mostly on environmental reviews and permitting. The turbines

would stand 426 feet in shallow waters off an area of Nantucket Sound

known as Horseshoe Shoal. Opponents argue that the turbines would be an

eyesore and could threaten water navigation. " A lot of people think the

turbines are beautiful and elegant, " said Rodgers. He said they would be

six miles from the closest shore " and at that distance they would be

(viewed as) a half an inch above the horizon. "

 

Cape Wind estimates that the wind turbines would be able to supply

three-fourths of the electricity used on Cape Cod and on the nearby

islands of Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard. The Northeast region " has a

demonstrated need for new sources of electricity to assure reliability

of service and affordable electricity for the region's consumers, and

this project will generate clean energy to help meet that need, " Garman

wrote in expressing the administration's support for the wind farm.

 

The infamous environmental group Greenpeace has also entered the fray,

targeting Kennedy for his opposition.

 

Greenpeace is launching a nationwide TV ad campaign against Kennedy,

with spots that portray the Massachusetts Democrat as Godzilla.

 

The Cape Cod Times reports:

 

" In the 30-second spot, a cartoon Kennedy looms over the water like a

Japanese movie monster, pounding wind turbines as they sprout from the

water, and barks, 'I might see them from my mansion on the Cape.' "

 

Kennedy's nephew, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. is a leading environmentalist

who urges Americans to cut back on energy consumption and who blamed

Bush environmental policies for Hurricane Katrina.

 

But he, too, opposes the wind farm in Nantucket Sound - going so far as

to argue that it would cause pollution.

 

By running the ads, Greenpeace hopes to torpedo an amendment to a Coast

Guard bill that would make a proposed Nantucket wind farm vulnerable to

state veto.

 

" 'We've targeted the Senate because we need leaders to stop this

amendment before it can even be voted, " Greenpeace spokesgal Kate

Smolski told the Times.

 

C 2006 Associated Press. .