State and federal officials have released a map designating a large swath of ocean south of Cape Cod and the Islands for potential leasing to developers of commercial-scale offshore wind farms.
The U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement and state officials announced today the publication of a "request for interest" to find out where in the 3,000-square-mile area developers might pursue projects. The federal agency, which replaced the Minerals Management Service, will accept public comments on the measure until Feb. 28.
Islanders have expressed concerns about the leasing area that range from the impact of wind turbines on fishing grounds to the likelihood that large turbines will be visible from shore. Earlier this year the federal government agreed to move the border of the area south of the islands further out to sea and reduced the overall area covered in response to some of these concerns.
Read the complete story from the Cape Cod Times.