Kennedy answers Blanchard

Our wind projects are very different

Providence Journal on Wednesday, October 12, 2005

Jeff Blanchard sails far off the mark in his Oct. 4 Commentary piece comparing the Cape Wind Associates' project in Nantucket Sound to Citizens Energy Corporation's interest in developing wind power on Wolfe Island, in Ontario ("Cape's Kennedys at odds in wind-power debate").

Blanchard fails to note several major differences that set the projects apart. To begin with, unlike Cape Wind, our Wolfe Island project pays the landowners a lease payment for the use of their land. The American public, owners of the seabed on which Cape Wind proposes to erect wind turbines, would receive no rents under Cape Wind's current plan.

Secondly, when Citizens has ventured into the development of renewable energy on public land, we have participated in a competitive-bid process, in which several parties vie for development rights and, in the process, provide a public benefit in the form of lowest-cost power. Cape Wind faces no such competition.

Thirdly, Wolfe Island is a project to be built on land, not offshore. We don't necessarily oppose offshore projects, but believe that like land-based projects they ought to provide public benefits through leases, bonuses or royalties in a competitive-bid process.

In every respect, Blanchard's attempts at linkage between Cape Wind and Wolfe Island fail the test of common sense. He also fails the test of decency by engaging in a personal attack that has absolutely no bearing on the important policy questions of how to generate renewable energy in a responsible manner.

JOSEPH P. KENNEDY II
Boston
The writer is chairman and president of Citizens Energy Corporation.

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EDITOR's Note: Joe is just plain wrong in claiming that Cape Wind would not pay a lease - the Energy Bill just passed by Congress granted this authority to the Minerals Management Service of the Department of the Interior - those folks are working now to come up with a lease system for offshore wind projects that WOULD apply to Cape Wind.