More than a decade after he announced plans to build the nation’s first offshore wind farm off Cape Cod, Cape Wind president Jim Gordon is on the verge of finally starting construction. During a 10-year fight to get approval for the project, Gordon has faced no shortage of challenges, including bitter public squabbles, a regulatory gauntlet of 17 government agencies, court challenges, and now, as he prepares to plant the first turbine, a glut of cheap natural gas that is undercutting renewable energy prices. But backed by Massachusetts laws that require utilities to buy from renewable sources, Gordon is confident the logic of wind power will prevail. In an interview with Yale Environment 360, Gordon describes why he has stuck with this project through a decade of turmoil and why he believes Cape Wind’s long struggle will ultimately be good for the clean energy sector. “It was painful, it was costly, it was frustrating,” Gordon says. “But you know something, if it makes it easier for others after me, I take some pride in that.”
Interview: The Long Battle to Build The U.S.’s First Offshore Wind Farm
More From E360
-
Energy
Why U.S. Geothermal May Advance, Despite Political Headwinds
-
Food & Agriculture
In War Zones, a Race to Save Key Seeds Needed to Feed the World
-
Climate
Lightning Strikes the Arctic: What Will It Mean for the Far North?
-
RIVERS
A Win for Farmers and Tribes Brings New Hope to the Klamath
-
Solutions
Deconstructing Buildings: The Quest for New Life for Old Wood
-
NATURAL DEFENSES
How Restored Wetlands Can Protect Europe from Russian Invasion
-
Solutions
Birds vs. Wind Turbines: New Research Aims to Prevent Deaths
-
FORESTS
Cambodian Forest Defenders at Risk for Exposing Illegal Logging
-
OPINION
The ‘Green’ Aviation Fuel That Would Increase Carbon Emissions
-
CONSERVATION
Out of the Wild: How A.I. Is Transforming Conservation Science
-
Energy
China’s Mega Dam Project Poses Big Risks for Asia’s Grand Canyon
-
Solutions
How Natural Solutions Can Help Islands Survive Sea Level Rise