Lawmakers cautious on proposed wind farm for Buzzards Bay

NEW BEDFORD, Mass. -- Massachusetts lawmakers are taking a wait-and-see approach to a Boston developer's plans to build a $750 million offshore wind farm with 90 to 120 turbines in Buzzards Bay.

"Wind power is an important alternative energy source, which Governor Romney supports," said Gov. Mitt Romney's communications director Eric Fehrnstrom. "The proposed Buzzards Bay wind farm is intriguing, and we look forward to learning more about it."

Members of Congress from Massachusetts said they also wanted to learn more about the project before taking a position.

"I hope this proposal will start a thoughtful discussion in Massachusetts about which state waters are appropriate for alternative energy development," Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., said in a statement. The approval process should include "close attention to the interests of the communities most directly affected by the project," Kennedy added.

The Buzzards Bay proposal, which was first reported Tuesday by The Standard-Times of New Bedford, would dramatically alter the appearance of the ecologically sensitive waterway.

Windmills 407 feet high for the Buzzards Bay wind farm would be planted 3 to 4 miles off the coast of Sconticut Neck in Fairhaven, Barneys Joy in Dartmouth and Naushon Island, one of the Elizabeth Islands. An estimated 30 to 40 turbines would be built at each of the three sites under the plan.

Patriot Renewables LLC, a renewable energy subsidiary of Jay Cashman Inc., must win numerous regulatory approvals for the mega-project.

The locations of the turbines, which would generate an annual total of about 300 megawatts of power, are subject to change based on feedback from the public and other stakeholders, company president Jay Cashman told the newspaper's editorial board Monday.

"The success of the project depends on it truly being a community effort," he said.

Cashman is a supporter and friend of Rep. William Delahunt, D-Mass.

"It's an interesting proposal, but I'm just learning the specifics," said Delahunt.

The congressman, however, praised Cashman for seeking community input.

"He's talking about involving the community, and I applaud that," Delahunt said.

Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., urged a "rigorous" review of the project.

"It's clear America needs to find renewable energy sources, and Senator Kerry would love to see wind energy powering homes in Massachusetts and throughout the United States," said Kerry spokeswoman Brigid O'Rourke. "He thinks any proposal should go though a rigorous process to determine its impact on the environment and affected communities."

Romney, Kennedy and Delahunt have been leading opponents of another renewable energy project, the 130-turbine wind farm proposed by Cape Wind Associates in Nantucket Sound. Kerry has not taken a stand on Cape Wind's plan.

Cashman estimated the Buzzards Bay wind farm would generate enough power for half of Cape Cod.

The Cape Wind project would produce 420 megawatts, enough for 75 percent of the Cape. The electricity would be linked to the overall Massachusetts power grid and not directed to a specific community.

Cashman's company plans to file an environmental notification form Friday with the Massachusetts Executive Office of Environmental Affairs at the Massachusetts Environmental Protection Agency.

If all goes well with the permitting and building processes, the South Coast Offshore Wind Project could be completed within five years, said Cashman, who lives in West Falmouth.

Patriot Renewables plans to work closely with the Massachusetts Audubon Society to protect the endangered roseate terns and other birds that nest in the region, Cashman said. The company will also collaborate with the Coast Guard to site the wind turbines away from shipping channels and outfit them with navigational lighting and fog horns to protect commercial and recreational vessels.