Siting Board Approves Proposed Wind Farm's 18-Mile transmission Cable
By Amy Lambiaso for the State House News Service
       A state board on Tuesday cleared the way for Cape Wind project officials to build an 18-mile underground cable needed to transmit power generated by the 130 wind turbines proposed for Nantucket Sound.
       Project supporters celebrated the vote, while opponents expressed
disappointment.
       Voting 5-2, the seven-member Energy Facilities Siting Board approved the transmission line, hoping to avoid further delaying project review. Under state law, the board reviews all proposals to construct energy facilities, including power plants, electric transmission lines, natural gas pipelines, and storage tanks, and must render its approval before project applicants can receive permits from other state agencies.
       The plan would connect the proposed turbines in a 24-square mile area on Horseshoe Shoal in Nantucket Sound to the regional electric grid in Barnstable. According to the proposal, roughly 12 miles of the cable route would be buried beneath the sea floor and six miles would be on land.
       The Alliance to Protect Nantucket Sound unsuccessfully argued today for the board to delay its final decision until the full environmental review is complete. Any appeal of the board’s decision would go directly to the state Supreme Judicial Court, and alliance officials said they are “likely” to file an appeal.