Save Our Sound

Alliance to Protect Nantucket Sound

   
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • HOME
  • Nantucket Sound
    • Preservation
    • Ecology
    • Photos
  • About Us
    • Our Mission
    • Our Team
    • Our Stakeholders
    • 2020 Year in Review
    • Status
  • ACONS
  • Cape Wind
    • Impacts
    • Alternatives
    • SOS News
  • Take Action
    • Donate Today
    • Voice Your Opinion
    • Join Our Team
  • Discover
  • STORE

April 10, 2018 | Cape Wind

What if you spent more than $100 million on a party and no one showed up?

The Boston Globe: “What if you spent more than $100 million on a party and no one showed up?”
By Jon Chesto, April 09, 2018 –

Officials in the Baker administration were asking themselves that question in 2015 as they tried to figure out what to do with a New Bedford terminal built for a future offshore wind industry. Cape Wind had leased the space, but the controversial project fell apart. The dock was at risk of turning into a costly boondoggle.

The Massachusetts Clean Energy Center has found other interim uses, although it’s still not serving any wind farms.

But they are finally on the horizon — thanks to a 2016 state law requiring the state’s big electric utilities to buy up to 1,600 megawatts of offshore wind power over time. (There’s already talk about increasing that amount.) The first-round winner is expected to be announced this month, though the selection committee may miss an April 23 deadline. Three teams are bidding in this round for contracts that could help finance windmills south of Martha’s Vineyard.

They may soon have company. The US Interior Department just opened up two more sections, further offshore, to development. These areas went unwanted in a lease auction three years ago. Now that state-mandated contracts are in play, they’re much more valuable. Statoil and PNE Wind have already expressed serious interest.

Some questions that dogged Cape Wind haven’t gone away. Utility customers will ultimately pick up the tab; hopefully, the competition helps ensure we get a better price. Fishermen remain worried about their livelihoods, sending a strongly worded letter today to Governor Charlie Baker about the wind farms’ potential impact. At least it’s looking more likely that the state’s hefty investment in a New Bedford dock will pay off after all.

Read more https://www.bostonglobe.com/business/talking-points/2018/04/09/wind-blowing-right-direction-for-new-bedford-terminal/4RbXYj3WDldrVoRicpMopJ/story.html

Reprinted via The Boston Globe, which is not affiliated with the Alliance.



order merchandise

Q&A with Audra Parker, President & CEO

Together, we have made great strides in our mission to permanently protect Nantucket Sound. But, we need your continued support to leave a lasting legacy for our children and grandchildren. I encourage you to contribute to our preservation campaign. Nantucket Sound won’t stay a national treasure without your support.

Why is Nantucket Sound a national treasure? The Sound has a rich tribal and maritime history and has long been recognized as more than just a body of water. It is the heart and soul of the Cape and Islands. It is a significant marine habitat for a diversity of ecologically and economically important species. It provides a livelihood for local fishermen, an inspiration for artists, and is a source of solace, relaxation, and recreation for the millions that flock to its shores. Nantucket Sound connects all of us who live and visit here.

Why is Nantucket Sound still vulnerable to industrialization? While the state waters of the Sound are protected under Massachusetts law, the federal waters in the center remain open to industrial development.

How can we permanently protect Nantucket Sound? The best way to secure permanent protection for the Sound is through federal legislation. The Alliance has proposed the ‘Nantucket Sound National Historic Landmark Act’ which would recognize the Sound’s historic, environmental and economic values. It would also prevent future development by prohibiting industrial projects in the Sound.

What have we achieved since the defeat of Cape Wind? We made solid progress toward enacting this federal legislation. We worked closely with our federal delegation and built a strong and diverse coalition of support. We earned endorsements from Governor Baker, our local representatives and nearly 100 key stakeholder groups. This coalition of elected officials, environmental groups, municipalities, tribal governments, historic preservation groups, commercial fishermen, and many others, is urging our representatives in Washington, D.C. to enact the Nantucket Sound National Historic Landmark Act.

Why does the Alliance still need funding? The Alliance is the only group that is fighting to protect Nantucket Sound. As a non-profit, we rely solely on private donations. Thank you for your continued generosity as we work to Save Our Sound… FOREVER. Your tax-deductible donation today will leave a legacy for tomorrow.

   Audra Parker
   President and CEO

4 Barnstable Road, Hyannis, Massachusetts 02601 · Phone 508-775-9767 · Fax: 508-775-9725 · www.saveoursound.org
501 (c)(3) tax-exempt organization