| December 4, 2009 |  |
Science Group 'Encouraged' by Long-term Power Purchase Negotiations between National Grid and Cape Wind
Statement by John Rogers, Union of Concerned Scientists
CAMBRIDGE (December 4, 2009) – Massachusetts Gov. Duval Patrick announced this week that state utility National Grid and owners of Cape Wind, the nation's first proposed offshore wind project, are negotiating to enter into a long-term agreement for the utility to buy Cape Wind's electricity. The agreement would help Cape Wind obtain financing to construct 130 turbines off the Massachusetts coast in Nantucket Sound.
Below is a statement by John Rogers, a senior energy analyst in the Union of Concerned Scientists' Climate and Energy Program:
"The announcement regarding negotiations between National Grid and Cape Wind is encouraging. Long-term contracts help increase our reliance on renewable energy sources by enabling developers to obtain financing to address their projects' upfront costs. Long-term contracts also can benefit utility customers by helping stabilize electricity prices, along with providing the broad economic and environmental benefits that renewable energy can bring.
"As a precedent-setting project, Cape Wind is especially important. The United States has tremendous offshore wind resources, and a long-term power purchase agreement for Cape Wind would bring us one step closer to making good use of them.
"Most of the nation's electricity comes from fossil fuels, mainly coal, which is our biggest source of global warming pollution. The Northeast emits more carbon dioxide—the primary global warming culprit—than all but six countries in the world. We already are seeing changes in the Northeast that are consistent with global warming, and the science tells us that we can expect more dramatic changes in the region's climate over this century if we fail to address the problem.
"The good news is that we can avoid global warming's worst effects by moving quickly from fossil fuel-based energy to cleaner sources, such as wind. Wind is among the most abundant renewable energy sources available in New England today, and responsibly sited wind projects like Cape Wind can provide electricity without the dangerous global warming emissions that conventional power plants produce."
The Union of Concerned Scientists puts rigorous, independent science to work to solve our planet's most pressing problems. Joining with citizens across the country, we combine technical analysis and effective advocacy to create innovative, practical solutions for a healthy, safe, and sustainable future.
