In negotiations, New Bedford's whaling past and wind future collide
Cape Cod Times|Natalie Sherman|December 14, 2012
Environmental advocates and wind energy companies in New England said Thursday they are working on an agreement to protect the critically endangered North Atlantic right whale during offshore development in New England - the same day that 15 of the rare mammals were spotted near Wellfleet.
Environmental advocates and wind energy companies in New England said Thursday they are working on an agreement to protect the critically endangered North Atlantic right whale during offshore development in New England - the same day that 15 of the rare mammals were spotted near Wellfleet.
NEW BEDFORD - Environmental advocates and wind energy companies in New England said Thursday they are working on an agreement to protect the critically endangered North Atlantic right whale during offshore development in New England - the same day that 15 of the rare mammals were spotted near Wellfleet.
"We are currently engaged with several of the same environmental groups in discussing the southern New England region," said Jeff Grybowski, the CEO of Deepwater Wind. "I'm very positive that we will reach an agreement."
The New England pledge would follow an agreement that wind companies and environmental groups announced Wednesday related to areas designated for offshore wind leasing in the mid-Atlantic region.
That pledge limits …
... more [truncated due to possible copyright]NEW BEDFORD - Environmental advocates and wind energy companies in New England said Thursday they are working on an agreement to protect the critically endangered North Atlantic right whale during offshore development in New England - the same day that 15 of the rare mammals were spotted near Wellfleet.
"We are currently engaged with several of the same environmental groups in discussing the southern New England region," said Jeff Grybowski, the CEO of Deepwater Wind. "I'm very positive that we will reach an agreement."
The New England pledge would follow an agreement that wind companies and environmental groups announced Wednesday related to areas designated for offshore wind leasing in the mid-Atlantic region.
That pledge limits activities, such as pile driving and boat speeds above 10 knots, in the mid-Atlantic leasing areas, especially between November and March, which is prime migration season in the area for the mammals.
"These projects are good neighbors," said Mark Rodgers, the communications director of Energy Management Inc., which is developing the Cape Wind site and is a signatory to the agreement.
North Atlantic right whales are among the most highly endangered whale species on the planet, with their total population today numbering around 500.
Massachusetts and Cape Cod Bay are key habitat areas for the beasts, which have been spotted feeding here in large numbers.
Thursday's sighting by Provincetown's Center for Coastal Studies is the earliest in 27 years, said senior scientist Charles "Stormy" Mayo.
"We don't know much about these wide-ranging animals. We know a lot about them in little tiny Cape Cod Bay, but in the open areas of the outer continental shelf (where offshore wind development is expected) it's really not well understood," he said.
The season for the whales in New England extends into the spring - a better time for construction activities - presenting a potentially greater conflict than in the mid-Atlantic leasing areas, said Grybowski.