The answer, they say, is blowing in the wind
While U.S. lawmakers discuss alternative energy sources, states along the nation’s East Coast are racing for the honor, and the benefits, of being the first to place windmills in the water.
“We believe that whichever state is first to get in the water with wind power will have the advantage of attracting ancillary industries and jobs,” said Amy Kempe, spokesperson for Rhode Island Governor Donald Carcieri.
Earlier this month, Rhode Island joined nine other Atlantic Coast states in signing a memorandum of understanding with the federal Department of the Interior that formally establishes an Atlantic Offshore Wind Energy Consortium to promote the efficient and responsible development of wind resources on the Outer Continental Shelf. The governors of Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and North Carolina were the other signatories.
“They are calling the Atlantic Ocean the Saudi Arabia of wind power,” Kempe said. “Everyone knows we have an urgent need for reliable, clean, renewable energy. Well, here it is, right off our shores.” Read more…
