Wind Farmer's Almanac

Think again, Congressman

Another dubious claim by US Rep. Bill Delahunt at the end of today's story in the Cape Cod Times about the Cape Wind provision in the Coast Guard funding bill --

"As I've said all along, this project is destined for litigation that will be interminable," Delahunt said.

Right, Congressman -- and it was just days ago you were saying that Gov. Mitt Romney was better suited to determine if Cape Wind might hamper navigational safety in Nantucket Sound instead of a more obvious arbiter -- the Coast Guard.

Delahunt also seems to have forgotten that Cape Wind's opponents have lost every legal challenge they've made, with more challenges sure to come and, assuming that justice prevails, more losses as well.

Seeing how Delahunt is hinting at frivolous litigation as a last resort, he might want to read this article published yesterday by the Norfolk Eastern Daily Press newspaper in Great Britain.

"A five-year wrangle over plans for two giant wind turbines in Norfolk ended yesterday with the go-ahead being given and taxpayers facing a huge legal bill due to 'unreasonable behaviour' by a council," the story reads.

"Breckland Council was told by a government inspector to pay costs -- which could total 100,000 pounds -- to the energy firm Ecotricity, which won a public inquiry and will now be allowed to construct the 100m tall turbines on land at Shipham, near Dereham," the story further states. "It was the first time in the UK that a council has had to pick up the tab in a windfarm dispute."

The Breckland Council, incidentally, is a municipal council -- which is why British taxpayers are footing that hefty legal bill for the councilors' poor judgment.

Seems the inspector mentioned in the story "gave the go-ahead (for the project) after it came to light on the first day of the inquiry, held in March, that safety concerns by Norwich International Airport (NIA) over how the turbines would affect radar had been dropped."

When Delahunt casually boasts of  "litigation that will be interminable" -- legalese for mucho billable hours -- here's one of his constituents who instead hears "taxpayers facing a huge legal bill."

(credit for cartoon, atla.org)