CAPE WIND GETS ANOTHER YES

Cape Wind gets FAA okay
Beth Daley, May 17, 2010 (Boston Globe)

"The Federal Aviation Administration [has] determined… that the proposed 130-turbine wind farm in Nantucket Sound will not significantly interfere with planes or radar.

"The determination of “no hazard” is one of the last approvals Cape Wind Associates needed for the project, which has undergone nine years of permitting review. US Interior Secretary Ken Salazar gave his final okay -- by far the most important decision for the project -- late last month."

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"Still, the FAA will require Cape Wind to pay for a roughly $1.5 million radar modification to ensure it can clearly spot planes flying above the wind farm. The company will also have to put $15 million in escrow for two years to pay for a digital radar system if the $1.5 million fix does not work…"

There are far more mitigations for the radar issue than there are for baseless interference from recalcitrant humans. (click to enlarge)

"The FAA has reviewed the Cape Wind project four times because each determination expires after about 18 months…[The current approving] assessment comes after the agreement by Cape Wind to make the upgrades…

"Opponents of the project, who have said they are planning lawsuits over a variety of wind farm issues, said the decision would make air travel near the 440-foot-tall wind turbines dangerous…"