The expected release date is December 5, 2008

Boston Globe, December 2, 2008 - The Bush administration is expected to issue as early as Friday a favorable final environmental review of the nation’s first offshore wind farm project, clearing the way for Cape Wind to obtain a federal lease to erect 130 wind turbines in Nantucket Sound.

This computer-generated image showed what a view of Cape Wind farm would look like from Oak Bluffs. The developer expects the turbines will produce 170 megawatts of power a year.

Nicholas Pardi, a spokesman for the Minerals Management Service, said last week that the agency, part of the Interior Department, is planning to release its findings “by the end of the year.” Supporters of the project who have been told of the agency’s timetable said a favorable review should come in the next few weeks and possibly on Dec. 5.

Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne would then have to wait 30 days to make the decision official and award the lease allowing the project to be located in federal waters. The supporters, as well the leader of the main opposition group, said they believe the administration wants this accomplished before Inauguration Day, Jan. 20.

Final state backing could follow early next year, said a spokesman for the state’s Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, culminating the developer’s long struggle to gain approval for what seemed like a green power pipe dream when it was announced seven years ago: A giant wind farm anchored in the waters off Cape Cod.

“This is important not only for Massachusetts but for the nation as a whole,” said Jack Clarke, director of public policy and government relations for Mass Audubon, a conservation group that came out in support of the project after evaluating its impact on wildlife.

Mark Rodgers, communications director for Cape Wind, said the company predicts the $1 billion project could be operating by 2011, though opponents have said they will go to court to try to block it. The developer expects the turbines to produce about 170 megawatts of power a year, equivalent to almost three-quarters of the average electricity demand for the Cape and Islands.

The proposal from a once little-known company has endured years of environmental review, several rounds of political maneuvering by the likes of Senator Edward M. Kennedy and former governor Mitt Romney, and strong opposition from a group of homeowners on the Cape and Islands. They worry that the 440-foot-high turbines, visible on the horizon, would mar their views, depress property values, and deter tourists. But the project has gained momentum as the public’s appetite has grown for renewable energy to help forestall global warming. The turbines would be placed about five to eight miles from the Cape coast.

The Minerals Management Service signaled its inclination to approve the project when it issued a draft environmental review in January, which concluded that it would cause little harm to migratory birds and fish and have a “minor” impact on tourism. The agency solicited comments on the draft report from the public and from state and other federal agencies, and they will be considered in the final environmental impact statement.

Last month, the US Fish and Wildlife Service forwarded a report to the minerals agency saying that the project would not jeopardize the survival of two bird species protected under the Endangered Species Act, piping plovers and roseate terns.

Aside from the final environmental review, Cape Wind cannot get its lease until the agency finalizes federal regulations governing offshore wind projects, scheduled for completion by the end of December.

At the state level, the Office of Coastal Zone Management must still approve the project, and Cape Wind is seeking a “composite” permit that will wrap several remaining local permits into one, quicker approval process, said Robert Keough, spokesman for the energy and environmental affairs agency. He said that these steps could be concluded “weeks” into the new year.

But the project is expected to face new obstacles, including the financial crisis.

“Now is not a good time to raise money for anything,” said Ethan Zindler, head of North American research for New Energy Finance, a company that sells research to renewable energy investors. “But the good news about that project is that it is going to potentially provide a massive amount of clean energy in a very tight market.”

Massachusetts’ requirement that a certain percentage of the state’s electricity come from renewable energy ensures wind power will have a market, said Zindler, and may help Cape Wind attract financiers despite the economy.

People on all sides predict legal challenges as well. The Alliance to Protect Nantucket Sound, which opposes Cape Wind, is already pointing to what it sees as flaws in the federal approval process. The group believes the outgoing administration has overlooked environmental and aviation safety concerns in a rush to approve the project. The environmental review may be issued before the Coast Guard and Federal Aviation Administration have completed their final studies of the project, but their analyses of Cape Wind’s impact on navigation and air safety could be incorporated into the terms of the lease.

The Minerals Management Service “is trying to shortcut the review process and pressure other agencies to get this approved under the Bush Administration,” said Audra Parker, the alliance’s executive director. “We are prepared to do what it takes to defeat this project, and if that requires litigation, we will do that.”

Others believe the decision is coming too late.

“The big picture failure to get this zero-emissions renewable generation online in New England is a real shame,” said Seth Kaplan of the Conservation Law Foundation, a Boston-based environmental advocacy group. “It’s hard to find a silver lining to that cloud that we have allowed this much time to go by.”

From Cape Wind’s perspective, the financial crisis aside, the wind is blowing in the project’s favor. “We’re very encouraged,” said Rodgers. “With the incoming Obama administration, you are seeing that people link our energy and environmental challenges directly to our economic challenges.”

…

Boston Globe, December 2, 2008 - The state ethics commission determined yesterday that a former member of the Massachusetts Marine Fisheries Advisory Commission violated the state’s conflict of interest law by testifying before state and federal agencies about the environmental impact of the Cape Wind project while working as a paid consultant for the wind farm’s leading opponent.

Mark Weissman, who served on the fisheries commission until August, was fined $2,500. The maximum penalty could have been $4,000 for these violations, said David Giannotti of the ethics commission.

In a phone interview last night, Weissman called the issue a “misunderstanding” of state law and said that he disclosed his work for the Cape Wind opponent to colleagues and some superiors as early as 2003.

“There was nothing hidden about my actions,” he said.

On various occasions between 2002 and 2007, Weissman testified before federal and state agencies in his capacity as a state official that the proposal to erect 130 turbines in Nantucket Sound needed further environmental review. He also “voiced skepticism” about fisheries data used in federal environmental impact analyses, according to the ethics commission’s findings.

Since 2003, Weissman has received about $48,000 in consulting fees from the central opponent to the Cape Wind project, the Alliance to Protect Nantucket Sound, the commission found. About $8,000 was related to the group’s efforts to stop the Cape Wind project.

While Weissman disclosed the relationship to his fellow board members in 2003, the ethics commission penalized him for not disclosing it in writing to the governor, as the conflict of interest law requires.

The ethics commission also found that he violated the law because he testified as a state official in proceedings related to the Cape Wind project while taking money from one of its opponents.

Weissman said he did not disclose in public hearings that he was paid by the Alliance to Protect Nantucket Sound because he was testifying only in his capacity as a commission member.

In testimony where he identified himself as a member of the marine fisheries commission in 2004, Weissman criticized a draft environmental review of Cape Wind issued by the US Army Corps of Engineers and the state and expressed concern that the project would compromise marine resources.

Since 2005, a different federal agency has had control over the environmental analysis and federal lease process for Cape Wind.

Check out Jon Keller’s letter to Senator Kennedy.

…Whatever the reason for your silence, it’s time for you to break it - and come down in favor of letting the wind farm proceed. The Globe reports that the final environmental approval of the project could come down any day now. If so, the only remaining obstacle to this badly-needed source of clean, renewable energy would be endless legal harassment by the coalition of big oil money and NIMBYite landowners who’ve been trying to kill the project every step of the way. (Actually, there’s another potential problem - the possibility that the draconian, costly delays combined with the current financial crisis might have crippled the capacity of Cape Wind investors to go forward.)

All along, you have implausibly (given your occasional lapses into NIMBYite rhetoric about the alleged spoilage of the sound) maintained that your only interest was in establishing a proper process for review of large offshore wind farms in public waters. Well, the final federal OK caps a grueling local, state and federal permitting process of unprecedented rigor dating back years. The developers have made many promises along the way; these must all be kept, and the project’s construction and performance must be carefully policed to ensure that environmental and economic pledges are fulfilled. But there is no credible claim to be made that further delay is necessary…

Anyone familiar with the Cape Wind project review process is also familiar with delay. And as the Minerals Management Services self-imposed release date for the Final Environmental Impact Statement was reached today, there’s still no word about when we can see it!

Numerous reports from all over the globe this week were touting the story (UPI, Cape Cod Today, Boston Globe, Cape Cod Times, among others), but it looks like we’ll just have to wait.

When I called MMS last week it took about twenty minutes for the office to finally inform me that “yes, the report was scheduled for release either that day [Nov. 28] or next week [today]“. When I asked how MMS doesn’t know or can’t tell me when they are releasing their own report I thought I heard a sigh, and then was given the same response.

Of course, this is an important moment in the Cape Wind battle, and in our daily struggle as filmmakers to capture an ethereal moment of reaction with our characters we’ll have to keep guessing when it will finally come.  The real question here is what the heck is going on at MMS?  The administration is changing hands, both sides are lobbying Congress with more vigor than they ever have before, public pressure is mounting, and journalists are frothing at the mouth.  Perhaps the Coast Guard study is raising eyebrows…maybe the FAA finally said something…maybe a distinguished Senator made a discreet phone call…all we know for sure is that nothing is ever final in the Cape Wind fight.

In the meantime, we’ll be digging in trying to get to the bottom of this. Does anyone have the inside scoop??

Another day, another call for delay.

US Representative James Oberstar of Minnesota has written a letter to the commandant of the Coast Guard, requesting that any recommendation issued to the Minerals Management Service be delayed until the Coast Guard study on Cape Wind’s effect on radar is complete, and released and reviewed by the public.

More details can be found in the Cape Cod Today article here.

How will all this pan out? How will this affect the announcement of the final MMS decision? Stay tuned!

The Coast Guard has agreed to delay the release of its recommendation on Cape Wind for one month, to allow the public to comment on the radar study.

On Thursday, James Oberstar, a Congressman from Minnesota and chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, had written a letter to Thad Allen, the Coast Guard Commandant, requesting the delay. The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee oversees the Coast Guard, including its budget.

More details can be found in the Boston Globe article here.

How this delay will affect the Minerals Management Service’s final environmental review remains up in the air.

More and more media outlets are finally picking up the story of Cape Wind’s most recent delay at the hands of US Representative James Oberstar of Minnesota.

Here is a Boston Globe editorial comparing Senator Ted Kennedy to Captain Ahab. It is reported that one of Kennedy’s aides had spoken to Oberstar about delaying the Coast Guard recommendation.

Jim Gordon, president of Cape Wind Associates, was interviewed last night on NECN’s Newsnight. In between nudging Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick to take on a more active role in this controversy and re-stating his case for Cape Wind, Gordon, impressively composed for a man facing yet another delay on the now seven-year review of his energy project, suggests that this most recent delay is not really a matter of navigational safety.

Really? Do tell us more.

At the urging of Representative James Oberstar, the Coast Guard announced last week that they will delay their recommendation regarding Cape Wind to the Minerals Management Service by one month.

Representative Nick J. Rahall II of West Virginia does not believe that that is enough time for the public to comment. He is the chairman of the House Committee on Natural Resources and the second-most senior Democrat on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, of which Oberstar is chairman. Rahall wrote a letter to Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthome requesting that MMS delay the release of the final environmental review until the Coast Guard “has provided the public 60 days to review and comment on a third-party review of the radar study submitted by the Cape Wind project developers.”

This comes mere days after two familiar senators once again tossed their hat into the ring. Senators Jeff Bingaman and Pete Domenici, both of New Mexico and respectively the chairman and ranking member of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, wrote a letter to the Department of the Interior, calling for a quick completion of their final environmental review.

Despite their letter, the Minerals Management Service announced last Thursday that the agency will not be releasing their final review this year as originally expected.

This delay guarantees that the final decision on Cape Wind will be made by the incoming Obama administration. A period of thirty days after the release of the final environmental review is required before the Secretary of the Interior can sign off on it and work out the terms of the lease. President-elect Barack Obama had named Senator Ken Salazar of Colorado as interior secretary.

Word on the street is that Minerals Management Service, the head federal permitting authority for Cape Wind, plans to release its Final Environmental Impact Statement for Cape Wind on Thursday.

This would coincide with the release of the Coast Guard’s recommendation to MMS, which was delayed last month at the urging of U.S. Representative James Oberstar.

The release of the FEIS mere days before Obama’s inauguration would put the figurative ball squarely in Obama’s court, as a Record of Decision cannot be issued by the Secretary of the Interior until thirty days after the release of the FEIS.

In December, Obama named Senator Ken Salazar as his choice for Interior Secretary.

The timing of the report’s release would bring the Cape Wind controversy to the forefront during the incoming administration’s first month in office, providing the first real test of Obama’s energy policy.

As is the usual around here, there’s been plenty of twists and turns in both the Cape Wind story and the making of the film over the last couple weeks.  Luckily, you can now track us using google blog alerts.  Just put in Cape Wind and we’ll start showing up in your inbox whenever we post.  You could also follow us using our rss feed which is a less intrusive version of the same thing.

And why would you want to follow us?  Look at the post below, in which James points to tomorrow as the date MMS is expected to release the final report on Cape Wind, gleaned from a source close to the process.  That’s breaking news!

James also gets into the politic-iness of the whole messy scandal.  He points to the implications of the timing, which puts the onus directly on President Obama as he comes into office.  The significance of this cannot be overstated.  The Obama administration will be holding the keys to whether the project moves forward.  But remember the decisive turn in Obama’s primary run, when one week before Super Tuesday, Sen. Ted Kennedy threw the weight of the entire Kennedy political machine behind the young dynamo.  Subsequently, Obama won major primaries and caucuses by slim margins in the heartland and Southwest - states where the Kennedy clan has planted it roots deep.  The savvy which built the Kennedy machine always exacts a price, and what the final tally will be is unknowable at this point.

Caroline to the US Senate seat in New York, Robert Kennedy, Jr. to some role in EPA, funding of No Child Left Behind (don’t count on it)…I have to admit that this barely scratches the surface.  What we know for sure is that Kennedy has a dog in the Cape Wind battle, and there’s reason to expect he’ll trade a little political capital to impact it’s outcome.

So, if MMS releases it’s report this week, all eyes will be on Obama and his new Interior Secretary, the moderate Sen. Ken Salazar of Colorado, who should have little difficulty in confirmation, being part of the Senate’s club already.  Salazar supports renewable energy, but that doesn’t mean everywhere.  He’s also a good friend of Sen. Kennedy.  Cape Wind supporter Nathaniel Greene of the NRDC says Salazar should be a boon for Cape Wind, but we’re not so sure.  So where does that leave us?

Non-Stop Action.

We’ll be all over this story for the next couple of weeks.  It should make for some very dramatic cinema, even if MMS stalls again.

We were off by one day, but it’s finally here.  MMS is expected to hold a press conference this morning at 10am to comment on the Final Environmental Impact Statement to be released today, but we still can’t find the actual report anywhere on the infinite internets.

We’ll be running around all day chasing the news, trying to get our hands on the report, and gathering all the good footage we can.  The significance of the timing doesn’t change much and despite the report’s release, there’s still an outstanding study by the FAA which will likely be required to finalize any decision.  As we haven’t seen the report yet, we also don’t know the recommendations by the Coast Guard.

This does set the ball rolling for the Record of Decision, which could come as early as 30 days from now, and places all remaining pressure on the Obama administration (and the courts both federal and state who will likely be dealing with legal challenges from opponents).

We’ll see where this goes, but all we can be certain of is another action-packed day and the swirling of the mighty press.

I’ll report in later if there’s anything noteworthy.

It actually happened.

Just a sampling: “Analysis finds impacts are expected to be mostly negligible or minor; some moderate
impacts were found.”

Read about the rest here: http://mms.gov/

Update: at the Cape Wind press conference.  They’ve brought out Rep. Matt Patrick, Clean Power Now’s Barbara Hill and IBEW’s Marty Aikens.

Friday morning as frigid air held its grasp on much of the Northeast, many residents dejectedly nudged their thermostats upward for relief from the bitter cold. But low temperatures couldn’t stop the Cape Wind controversy from gaining heat as news came that the Minerals Management Service, the lead federal agency in charge of reviewing the viability of the proposal, released a favorable final environmental review bolstering the initiative that has been subjected to a slew of setbacks, permitting reviews, public hearings, and political discord for nearly eight years.

The contentious Cape Wind project, which proposes to build 130 wind turbines in Nantucket Sound off the coast of Cape Cod, represents the largest single greenhouse gas reduction initiative in the United States. If built, it would become the first offshore wind farm in the nation, setting a precedent for permitting offshore wind farms throughout the U.S. All along, the proposal has been met with strident criticism regarding the potential threats Cape Wind poses to the community at large.

The 400-foot wind turbines have been cause for a wide range of concerns—including the potential harms the wind farm might have on wildlife, tourism, fisherman, and property values. The Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS), a comprehensive 3,000 page document released Friday morning by the MMS, addresses these concerns and a range of others featuring a detailed analysis of every conceivable way in which the Cape Wind project could impact the surrounding community; issues include the wind farm’s affects on aviation traffic, oceanography, fisheries, population and economics, recreation and tourism, and urban infrastructure. MMS, a division of the U.S. Department of the Interior, concluded that the project’s negative implications (most classified as “minor”) could be mitigated and that the benefits, including providing three quarters of the Cape and Islands’ electricity, are in the best interests of the greater New England community.

Despite the favorable review, the nonprofit environmental organization Alliance to Save Nantucket Sound remains determined to keep Cape Wind from coming to fruition. Executive director of the group Audra Parker said, “There’s no opportunity for the public to evaluate the project in the context of the rules.” Parker, like many others who oppose Cape Wind, believe the review has been rushed citing the fact that MMS has not yet finalized the parameters for offshore renewable energy projects. “It’s really putting the cart before the horse,” Parker said.

There still remain a handful of smaller hurdles. Thirty days must pass before the Secretary of the Interior can issue a “record of decision” that will officially grant a lease for construction, operation, and eventual decommissioning of the proposed wind facility. In addition to the approval of the U.S. Department of the Interior, a handful of smaller state and federal agencies must also O.K. the project; moreover, the shuffle of the incoming administration could delay further approval. And if the past eight tumultuous years have been any indicator, the project will surely have to overcome even more forthcoming legal issues and technicalities.

But, if Cape Wind and its supporters maintain the spirited momentum that has brought the project to it’s current level of relevancy, a new chapter in America’s clean power initiative may soon be realized.

Eddie Keenan IV

The Federal Aviation Administration released its report on Cape Wind today, according to the Boston Globe. The agency found that Cape Wind would be a “presumed hazard” for planes due to interference with radar facilities.

The report, however, did not slam the door shut on Cape Wind. It suggested that improvements to the radar facility at Otis Air Force Base could potentially help.

Cape Wind did not comment on whether they would foot the bill for any radar upgrades, but they remained optimistic about ultimately obtaining the approval of the FAA.

The public can comment on the FAA’s report until March 22nd.

This comes after Britain’s Ministry of Defence objected earlier this month to four onshore wind farms that were within radar stations’ lines of sight. Last November, Cirrus Energy scrapped its plan to build an offshore wind farm on Shell Flat in the Irish Sea based on insurmountable objections made by the Ministry of Defence and BAE Systems, an aviation company.

Today legally marks the first possible day the U.S. Interior Department can issue a record of decision granting federal regulatory approval for the Cape Wind project. The 30-day window expired this past Sunday following last month’s favorable approval of the Final Environmental Impact Statement by the Minerals Management Service.

Although some have pointed to the political tension Obama faces concerning the Cape Wind project—considering his close ties to both Sen. Ted Kennedy whose fierce opposition of the project has been widely publicized and Gov. Deval Patrick who is a close friend, political ally and strong supporter of the project—statements made by the U.S. Department of the Interior suggest absolutely no hesitation in advancing renewable energy interests. Federal approval seems likely to be forthcoming considering last week’s press conference at which Interior Department’s Secretary Ken Salazar announced that renewable energy offers “huge potential” along the nation’s Atlantic Coast. Also, Salazar stated that the Obama Administration seeks to put renewable energy on the fast track. He said that tapping wind, waves and ocean currents offer a “tremendous opportunity” to help meet the energy needs of the United States. Within the next 45 days the U.S. Geographical Survey has to draft a fresh report on all the potential offshore energy resources, both oil and renewable energy.

Following Salazar’s proclaimed support of renewable energy came yet another setback. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a report Friday that found the Cape Wind project to pose a “presumed hazard” for airplanes because of interference with air traffic control radar systems. “Initial findings of this study indicate that the structure as described exceeds obstruction standards and/or would have an adverse physical or electromagnetic interference effect,” the report stated. The agency suggested an upgrade to the radar facility at Otis Air Force Base that would cost $1.7 million. Spokesman for Cape Wind Associates, Mark Rodgers, believes they can “arrive at a win-win solution that is satisfactory to them and will allow the project to proceed.” Rodgers told The Boston Globe that he is confident that all the necessary permits will be acquired by the end of spring, including the FAA approval.

Although the U.S. Department of Defense determined in 2007 that the proposed Cape Wind turbines would not affect the air force early warning missile defense system at Otis Air Force Base, there remained radar interference concerns due to the bare minimum security qualifications met. The nearest turbines would be 1.2 miles from the outer limit of the offset zone, which is 15.5 miles out from the transmitter at Otis Air Force Base. Also, the lowest portion of the electromagnetic radar beam of the radar signal is 449 feet off the ground, which is just nine feet above the wind turbines.

In moving forward, the Cape Wind project must tackle two radar-related issues: firstly, it must gain approval by the FAA by ensuring the wind turbines are under the radar and would not cause any interference disturbances; secondly, it is crucial that the project stay above the radar in a political sense, perhaps making 2009 the year that that project gains official approval from all federal, state and local agencies and begins construction.

Eddie Keenan IV

Audra Parker, chief operating officer and executive director of the Alliance to Protect Nantucket Sound, stated this past Monday in the Cape Cod Times that, “Cape Wind is nowhere near a done deal — and the fight is far from over.” Parker addressed the FAA’s release of a “presumed hazard” report regarding Cape Wind’s potential radar interference in an op-ed piece for the regional paper.

Citing the Department of Interior’s inspector general-led investigation into potential wrongdoing in the federal review of Cape Wind and the denial of a “critical” permit by the Cape Cod Commission, Parker details a laundry list of unsettled issues standing in the way of the Cape Wind project. On the offensive Audra charged, “As long as Cape Wind continues to target a heavily conflicted site, it will face serious community, political, legal and financing challenges, each one putting the project even further from reality.”

Parker, a resident of Osterville, voices concern for what many Cape Cod locals consider to be a cornerstone of the anti-Cape Wind argument: the project’s “poorly sited” location in Nantucket Sound. She asserts, “relocation is the only responsible next step” and suggests finding a “better location that doesn’t needlessly risk our safety, our economy, and our home.”

While there is no doubt that Nantucket Sound is a heavily contested area, and Cape Wind an extremely controversial project, it is unsure how much longer the fierce battle will wage on. As Parker assures, one thing is certain for the future of the highly contentious Cape Wind debate: final approval will not come easy; it will be fought tooth-and-nail until the bitter end.

Eddie Keenan IV

The MMS has extended the public comment window for the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) until March 21, 2009. A record of decision, therefore, cannot be issued by the Interior Department until after the public comment window has ended. Although this marks yet another delay for Cape Wind, the same one-month extension was issued in 2008 following the release of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS).

Comments may be submitted to the MMS by using the Public Comment System.

Click here to view the FEIS.

The Alliance to Protect Nantucket Sound filed a lawsuit Feb. 20 against the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management  (CZM) challenging its finding in January that the Cape Wind project adequately meets state environmental requirements for activities in federal waters.  Charlie McLaughlin, Barnstable’s attorney, confirmed that the town filed a similar suit the same day in the county Superior Court.

This marks a shift in focus from Obama’s Interior Department, who’s decision on Cape Wind is pending, to the court system of Massachusetts. The opponents of Cape Wind contend that the state agency’s determination has violated the law and, moreover, was reached prematurely. According to a prepared statement released on Wednesday, Alliance President and CEO Glenn G. Wattley said, “In its decision on Cape Wind’s impacts, CZM has clearly violated the law and abandoned its own mission to protect our coastal environment.” The Alliance asserts that CZM failed to consult with the Cape Cod Commission on its decision as required by law.

In the prepared statement the Alliance also noted that in prior comments on Cape Wind the CZM itself has stated, “The project will have both direct and indirect impacts to natural resources and uses within the Massachusetts coastal zone and the adjacent waters.”

While it remains to be seen whether the lawsuit will significantly interfere with the Cape Wind project, you can be sure to see more legal challenges and press releases over the next several weeks.  Only two weeks ago, Alliance Audra Parker vowed the fight over the Cape Wind project was far from over, and that’s quickly becoming clear.

Eddie Keenan IV

Ken Salazar has finally spoken up about Cape Wind! No, the Secretary of the Interior has not yet signed off on a lease for the Cape Wind Associates, but his comments in a recentinterview with the Associated Press mark the first time that Salazar has publicly discussed the controversial offshore wind farm proposal.

Salazar called Cape Wind a “good project,” one that “makes sense.” But in what will surely raise the ire of Cape Wind opponents, he said that it was important “we get this thing done and not get stuck in a not-in-my-backyard syndrome.”

As if realizing that opponents don’t particularly appreciate being reduced to NIMBYists, Salazar added that the idea of picking either renewable energy or conservationism is a “false choice,” that one was not exclusive of the other.

Still no word on when we can expect the long-awaited lease for Cape Wind. Stay tuned!