Cape Wind Farm

What is your opinion of the Cape Wind proposal?

  • I'm in favor of it.

    Votes: 101 87.8%

  • I'm against it.

    Votes: 13 11.3%

  • I don't care.

    Votes: 1 0.9%
  • Total voters
    115
I went to Quitos last night. It's not my favorite, but it's a good time. Aiden's is great. I still frequent it.

That giant turbine is in Portsmouth. It really stands out. The Sakonnet River Bridge has been in near-disrepair for as long as I can remember. I went to school in Portsmouth RI (St. Philomena) and crossed it every day. I remember my dad whining that it was going to collapse when I was in 3rd grade. It's good to see they're building a replacement. I still love crossing the Mt. Hope.
 
I enjoy biking over the Mt. Hope bridge when I go to Bristol. I haven't tried the Sakonnet yet -- is it equally scenic?
 
BostonYoureMyHome said:
I'm still not sold on the idea...is it really more cost effective to build in the ocean than on land?
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Generally speaking, building on land is more cost effective. Offshore wind has higher development/construction and operating costs.
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XT500
 
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Article in today's Herald: "Billions for Big Wind - Cape plan feeds fear of costly boondoggle"
http://www.bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1254172

Good article. One of the highlights:

"...Cape Wind Associates, the private developer of the 130-turbine wind farm off the coast of Cape Cod, has flatly refused to provide the final construction cost for the project, citing competitive talks now under way with contractors.

Not even [Gov. Deval] Patrick and U.S. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, who recently OK?d the project, know the true cost of Cape Wind, referring questions to the developer."

This article follows up on yesterday's article: "Higher rates blowing in - Cape Wind contracts could generate $6B tab over 15 years"
http://www.bostonherald.com/busines...ontracts_could_generate_6b_tab_over_15_years/
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Honda CT70
 
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I don't understand -- there's nothing dangerous about biking on the Mt. Hope bridge. It's not that steep a climb or descent.
 
ScottB said:
Generally speaking, building on land is more cost effective. Offshore wind has higher development/construction and operating costs.
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So...the reason millions have been spent on this campaign already...? I'm all for sustainability, but this got a bit outrageous a long time ago.
 
I'm in favor of Wind Energy but I have a bad feeling on this project. Can we say BIG DIG 2. When a private developer won't put a final price on a project that means this guy will get filthy rich off the taxpayers.

This is not an easy development which I can understand not commiting to a price but in the end this might be a blackhole for the taxpayers.
 
I worry about the costs, too. I haven't paid attention to the drama but I can only assume all the delays have increased its cost and it seems as though the demand for this, at the prices they need to charge, is questionable.
 
JohnAKeith said:
I worry about the costs, too. I haven't paid attention to the drama but I can only assume all the delays have increased its cost and it seems as though the demand for this, at the prices they need to charge, is questionable.
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Why couldn't a developer actually give a high end estimate for this job and pay sometype of insurance bond which would cover him if the costs spiraled out of control to protect him and the taxpayers?

I just see the headlines now. The Federal Government has to step after Windmill costs spiral out of control into the 100's of billions.
 
JohnAKeith said:
I worry about the costs, too. I haven't paid attention to the drama but I can only assume all the delays have increased its cost and it seems as though the demand for this, at the prices they need to charge, is questionable.
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Most definitely, but one of the benefits of the delay had been that the technology has improved from the initial proposal as well. I think when first proposed each windmill would generate 3MW and now each one will generate 3.6MW.
 
new news. They have contracted Siemens to build the turbines and transformer platform:

http://www.boston.com/business/2013...re-turbines/k5P7faokf8jeZI30QDWn5O/story.html

Cape Wind signs deal for offshore turbines
By Jay Fitzgerald / Globe Correspondent / December 23, 2013

Cape Wind Associates has finalized a major deal with a unit of Siemens AG to provide the giant wind turbines, offshore transformer, and maintenance of its planned 130-turbine wind farm off the coast of Cape Cod.

Cape Wind is still trying to nail down federal tax-credits worth potentially hundreds of millions of dollars in order to proceed with the long-delayed and controversial project, which has been vehemently opposed by various groups and homeowners on the Cape and Martha’s Vineyard.

A spokesman for Cape Wind said today that officials expect the project will be eligible for federal investment tax credits, even if the credits technically expire on Dec. 31 for other wind farms. The firm expects to nail down financing in the second or third quarter of next year, clearing the way for construction soon after, said the spokesman.

The deal announced today with Siemens Energy Inc., a unit of Siemens AG, the world’s largest offshore wind turbine manufacturer, appears to signal Cape Wind’s confidence that the more than $2.5 billion wind-farm project will finally get off the ground one way or the other.

Under the agreement announced today, Siemens would provide the 3.6-megawatt offshore wind turbines, an offshore Electric Service Platform that acts as a transformer for the power generated by the turbines. Siemens will also provide 15 years of maintenance service for the wind farm under the agreement. Financial details of the deal were not disclosed.

Siemens is subcontracting the manufacturing of the electric service platform to Cianbro, a Maine engineering, construction, and manufacturing firm. The platform will be fabricated in Cianbro’s facility in Brewer, Maine.

If all goes well, the construction of the wind farm could be completed in 2016, company officials said.

“As the global leader in offshore wind power, Siemens is extremely pleased to be the supplier for America’s first-ever offshore wind farm,” stated Randy Zwirn, chief executive of Siemens Energy, Inc.

“This is a significant milestone for this project and we’re excited about it,” said Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick, whose administration has pushed hard to get Cape Wind built. “Massachusetts will be a pioneer in the emerging offshore wind industry, which brings with it both clean energy and good jobs.”
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Big step. I guess that means only a few more years of waiting for Godot on this boondoggly NIMBY shitshow and it might actually be real.
 
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