The following is a statement by NOIA President Tom Fry regarding the Interior Department’s final review of the Cape Wind project in Nantucket Sound:
"When it comes to the fate of the complex and long-planned Cape Wind project in Nantucket Sound, the National Ocean Industries Association (NOIA) agrees that after nearly a decade of multiple reviews and seemingly endless legal challenges, it is indeed time for a final permitting decision on the project.
Like the Obama Administration and the majority of the American public, NOIA strongly supports the development of offshore renewable energy sources. Renewable energy development on the Outer Continental Shelf would add to the overall diversity of the nation's energy sources and could help generate new jobs in a developing sector.
We are hopeful that Interior Secretary Ken Salazar's final decision will be agreeable to all concerned parties and will allow the project to move forward without any further delay.
As the first offshore wind farm proposed in federal waters, the ultimate fate of Cape Wind, will set an example for all such projects to come. This is not simply one decision concerning one project. It could be an indication of the permitting environment the entire renewable energy sector could face as it tries to expand. We hope the Secretary will use this decision to set an example that is a positive one."