Being a big fan of alternative energy sources, I'm excited to hear about the possibility of two offshore wind farms near Long Island and Nantucket.
The two projects, one south of Long Island, in New York, and one in Massachusetts' Nantucket Sound, are currently moving through the complicated process of securing permits from various agencies, and both could be turning out juice in a few years. Offshore wind farms -- row after row of massive wind turbines sprouting from the sea miles from land -- have become a relatively common source of commercial electrical power in Europe, but these would be the first in this country.
But of course, the yachting set on Nantucket have to bring the "not in my backyard" attitude, claiming environmental impact, but ultimately seeming mostly worried about their million dollar views:
She said that about half the fish that commercial fisherman catch in Nantucket Sound come from the area where Cape Wind wants to install windmills. In addition, she said that a commercial wind farm would mar the pristine ocean views, dragging down both tourism and local property values. She cited a study conducted by The Beacon Hill Institute that concluded that total property values in the area would fall by $1.35 billion. "If you have a direct view, the value of your home would go down," she said. The wind farm "would be highly visible. It would change the tranquility of the horizon markedly."
What a crock. The pros of offshore windfarming far outweigh any potential cons in my opinion.