Wind Farmer's Almanac

The alleged noise from Cape Wind's turbines - according to a state permitting agency

From the Massachusetts Energy Facilities Siting Board, in its decision last May to approve Cape Wind's request to connect its turbines to the regional grid -

"Based on the record, the Siting Board finds that, while the wind farm may be audible onshore when meteorological conditions permit, the noise levels produced by the wind farm would be lower than background noise levels onshore, and would not result in a perceptible increase in the overall noise levels at shore locations.

"The record does not contain information on the potential changes in noise levels at other locations that would result from the less frequent operation of generators displaced by the wind farm. However, the Siting Board notes that many fossil-fueled generators are located in close proximity to residential areas and result in significant increases in overall noise levels when operating.

"Therefore, the Siting Board finds that the noise impacts of the wind farm are likely to be less than those of many of the generators it would displace."

Just prior to this citation, which can be found on page 176 of the board's decision, the board noted that "it also appears likely that turbine noise would be heard by some boaters" - as was the case during the Clean Power Now trip to Denmark last May, although not until the CPN visitors were almost directly beneath one of the turbines before it could be heard.