Trying to make sense of the proposed wind farm is not easy in any context. The use of wind to generate electricity is new and untested. The scope of the Cape Wind project is large no matter what measure you use including dollars, megawatts, feet, yards, or miles. And the review process itself is so arcane and Lilliputian that even the regulatory bodies have found themselves ensnarled.
So, on an August evening in Brewster, we worked with the Museum of Natural History to bring together the two people who know the most about the project’s strengths and weaknesses, Jim Gordon of Cape Wind Associates, the developer of the proposed wind farm, and Charles Vinick, head of the Alliance to Protect Nantucket Sound, the group opposed to the construction of an industrial plant in the waters offshore.
The format allowed each to present his thoughts and concerns for thirty minutes without interruption. When they finished, both answered questions submitted by the audience as well as those each asked of the other and those I offered as moderator. The discussion was taped by the Cape Cod Community Media Center, which you can view here:
