U.S. Department of Interior approves Cape Wind Power?s Construction and Operation Plan

The Cape Wind Farm Project gets green light from U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar to begin construction—marking milestone for American offshore wind industry

U.S. Secretary Ken Salazar announced approval of the first-ever Construction and Operation Plan (COP) for a U.S. offshore wind energy project, granting Cape Wind Associates the official go-ahead to begin construction on the over-100 wind turbines project across 25 square miles of Nantucket Sound. When complete, the wind farm will produce enough electricity to supply hundreds of thousands of American homes.

The American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) congratulates Cape Wind and the Department of the Interior for the progress it has made in developing the American offshore wind industry."

Offshore wind power is the new frontier for our industry," said Denise Bode, CEO of AWEA. "Thank you to Secretary Salazar for being a champion of offshore wind and for his commitment to making this industry a reality.The Secretary understands the manufacturing and job opportunities that offshore wind brings to America and knows that it needs long-term policy support in order to do so."

Joined by Dennis Duffy, vice president of Cape Wind Associates and Michael Bromwich, director of the Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Secretary Salazar signed the COP today at the historic Charlestown Navy Yard in Boston.

www.awea.org/