After almost a decade of public hearings on the proposed Nantucket Sound wind farm, the last one was held on Wednesday before utility regulators in Boston.
However, according to CapeCodOnline news site, only the official part is over, since disagreements and discussions on that matter are still very intense.
At the hearing, president and CEO of the Alliance to Protect Nantucket Sound, Audra Parker said that the developer, Cape Wind Associates LLC has deceived the public by constantly repeating that the project would save customers money, even though it will cost more.
“That is completely false,” said Cape Wind’s president Jim Gordon , explaining that most of the project’s opponents don’t consider the external costs of other sources of energy, such as carbon-based and nuclear fuels.
Nevertheless, the opponents argue that the total additional cost of Cape Wind’s power over the time of the contract will be USD 4 billion, which will be paid through higher costs for merchandise and services.
On the other hand, proponents of the project say that the additional cost for an average household comes to only about a dollar or two per month.
Cape Wind’s first public hearing was held before Barnstable Town Council in Hyannis on November 1, 2001. Now, Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities will hold evidentiary hearings before making a final decision on the NStar contract.
[mappress]
Offshore WIND staff, June 1, 2012; Image: Cape Wind