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Coast Guard gets wind farm power

Jun 22 ,Space & Earth science


Congress has reached an agreement concerning a proposed Nantucket Sound wind farm in Massachusetts, giving the U.S. Coast Guard oversight of the project.

The bill would provide the Coast Guard, and not Gov. Mitt Romney, with the power to order changes to the Cape Wind project or even to kill the plan if it's found it would interfere with navigation, The Boston Globe reported.

Supporters of the wind farm say the bill is a victory for them since it would deny Romney -- an opponent of the project -- the power of a veto.

Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., also a wind farm opponent, fought to give Romney veto powers. But the Globe said Kennedy retreated after leading Republicans and Democrats joined the Bush administration in objecting.

The project involves the construction of 130, 417-foot-tall wind turbines about five miles off the Massachusetts coast to produce up to 420 megawatts of energy.

Copyright 2006 by United Press International

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