Energy Management Inc’s (EMI) Cape Wind has dropped a court appeal, another setback in its long-running fight to build a 468MW wind farm off the US east coast.
The developer had asked the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial court to reverse an Energy Facilities Siting Board decision denying an extension of transmission line permits.
The decision to withdraw caught the Town of Barnstable, which opposed the project, by surprise, Barnstable assistant town attorney Charles McLaughlin told reNEWS.
“We weren’t expecting it, said McLaughlin. “They have fought vigorously.”
Cape Wind did not give a reason for the decision and did not reply to requests for comment.
The project has faced many regulatory, legal and financing hurdles since EMI first proposed to build 130 turbines on Horseshoe Shoal in Nantucket Sound more than a decade ago.
More than two dozen lawsuits slowed progress and the project lost power purchase agreements in early 2015 when it failed to complete financing on time.
Massachusetts passed a new state energy law this year that includes a 1.6GW carve-out for offshore wind, but it excludes the Cape Wind scheme.
The project still holds a federal offshore wind lease for a 46-square-mile area between Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket Island.
Cape Wind must pay a rental fee of $88,278 per year until production starts.
Image: impression of Cape Wind project (Cape Wind)
Cape Wind drops grid appeal
Developer no longer contesting decision to deny transmission permits
By EBS