Cape Wind Gets Lease for First Offshore Wind Farm in US

Jim Gordon, Cape Wind President and Ken Salazar U.S. Interior Secretary, have jointly signed the country’s first lease towards the offshore wind farm coming under the territory of United States’ federal waters. The lease was signed at the AWEA’s (American Wind Energy Association) Offshore wind conference held at Atlantic City in New Jersey.

The lease authorizes Cape Wind in constructing 130 units of wind turbines at the wind farm located in the Horseshoe Shoal area of Nantucket Sound as well as operating the wind facility for a 25 year period.

The U.S. DoE (Department of Energy) has unveiled a plan towards the nation installing 54,000 MW capacity of offshore wind power by 2030 which would require more than 100 Cape Wind sized projects. Cape Wind is the first offshore wind energy farm in America to obtain State and Federal approval. Cape Wind will be promoting greater energy independence, creating jobs as well as a cleaner environment while also establishing Massachusetts as one of the leaders in offshore wind power.