REFRESHING APPROACH
To the editor:

The Nantucket Planning & Economic Development Commission's (NP&EDC) comments on the review process for the Cape Wind project offers an important framework through which the federal Minerals Management Service (MMS) can assure the public that the process it is initiating for the development of offshore wind energy in the U.S. will first protect the public's interest.

The NP&EDC recommendations to MMS call for the need to learn from early experience siting these projects in Europe and how we can minimize conflicting uses of our offshore waters between these projects and existing uses such as those of commercial ferries and fishermen. Unlike the developer driven process we have witnessed with the Army Corps of Engineers, the NP&EDC recommends that the government designate "suitable areas' for wind energy development before simply conveying permits to private developers after they have picked a site. In its comments, the NP&EDC urges MMS "to establish regional councils to first advise the MMS on which areas are most suitable for development and avoid substantial conflicts with existing uses."

It is a refreshing approach in stark contrast to Cape Wind's approach that has incited a divisive debate over this project for more than four years.

Among the most troubling conflicts that arise in the construction of offshore wind in Nantucket Sound are those on the water and in the air. As much as Cape Wind has simply dismissed those concerns, safe transportation is a critical issue for residents of the Cape and Islands, as evidenced by the strong opposition to the project by the Steamship Authority, Hy-Line Cruises and all three Cape and Island regional airports.
                                    - Charles Vinick
                                  President and CEO
The Alliance to Protect Nantucket Sound