"Human wind turbine" demonstration outside Kennedy's office

Rainfall of biblical proportion fails to stop wind farm advocates

By Walter Brooks, Photos by Jack Coleman

Three dozen members of Clean Power Now waded their way to Boston this morning to create a "human wind turbine" on City Hall Plaza within view of Sen. Ted Kennedy's office at the 24th floor of the John F. Kennedy Federal Building.

The "Human Wind Turbine" as seen through a window in Kennedy 24th floor offices

The banner says: "Ted Kennedy is in the dark. Soon we may be too. Cape Wind will keep the lights on"

CPN Executive Secretary Matt Palmer and CPN member Susan Brown speaking with Ottaway Statehouse reporter Dave Kibbe.

A soaking wet Matt Palmer hands 500 letters from constituents to Kennedy aide Shalgian.

The demonstrators came from the Cape Cod and Boston chapters of Clean Power Now, and chanted "What do we want? CLEAN POWER ! When do we want it? NOW" loud enough for visitors inside the building to hear.

The demonstrators were arrayed in the shape of a wind turbine with a banner at the base reading, "Ted Kennedy is in the dark. Soon we may be too. Cape Wind will keep the lights on."

Deal for Kennedy's support of ANWAR denied

After the 30-minute demonstration, two of Kennedy's aides in Boston, Graham Shalgian and Thomas Crohan, agreed to meet with CPN members in two small groups.

One of the CPN members said "people like us have always been supportive of Senator Kennedy" and others said the senator's resistance to America's first offshore wind farm will have political repercussions for him and the Democratic Party.

One member of the delegation asked Shalgian if the senator had made a deal with Alaskan Congressman Don Young, vowing to support drilling for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge if Young led the charge against Cape Wind. Shalgian denied that any such deal had been made.

"We strongly urge the Senator to change his position on this," said CPN executive director Matt Palmer. "He is just plain on the wrong side and does not represent the best interests of the people of Massachusetts."

Palmer handed Shalgian a 2-1/2 inch thick folder containing 500 letters from Kennedy's constituents urging him to reconsider his opposition to the wind farm.

Susan Brown, of Harwich (shown above on right) said Kennedy "could have the guts to say 'I've changed my mind.' I think it's because of his backyard view."

Shalgian told the CPN members that Kennedy believed there was "insufficient" regulatory oversight of offshore renewable energy projects prior to passage of last year's energy bill.