Cape Wind or Kennnedy wind?

Phil Gallagher

There are a few basic facts of life relative to energy prices up here in the northeast. It gets pretty cold, the most common home heating fuel oil is and none of that oil is pulled out of the ground around here. Those were some of my thoughts as I dropped my latest oil bill into the mail. A bill by the way that totaled $535. I looked back in my ledger book and that same amount of fuel was $163 ten years ago and five years ago was $183.

With our children grown and the costs of education and weddings out of the way and the both of us working, it is more of an annoyance and a reduction of disposable income than it is a hardship to pay this kind of money for fuel. It is apparent to us however that in many homes of our friends and neighbors this is an enormous economic hardship.

Inevitably these high energy costs are going to take a major toll on the national economy. Energy costs permeate every aspect of our service, manufacturing and agricultural economies and it is only a matter of time before the reduction of disposable income for the consumer slows the economy. This impact coupled with the Federal Reserve Boards idiotic policy of continued interest rate hikes is going to push the United States economy into recession.

The economy is not the only major stage that energy prices have tremendous impact upon. United States foreign policy is currently being held hostage to rising energy costs. A perfect example is Iran. How quickly would China back a U.N Security Council resolution against Iranian nuclear ambitions if Iran was not one of China's major suppliers of oil?

Is the little Iranian fanatic emboldened because he knows that we dare not take action against him for fear of reduction in his countries oil production or worse in that he might disrupt shipments of his neighbors through out the Persian Gulf?

This aspect of high energy prices is even more troubling than the economic concerns. We cannot be constantly under the threat of foreign policy decisions being affected in any way by the latest Middle East or South American election or coup.

The only way out of this mess is to end U.S. energy dependence. Our available diplomatic options would increase dramatically if for instance we were able to say to Iran or Saudi Arabia for that matter, if you don't change your ways we don't think we want your only major export product in our country.

Of course the only way to accomplish this is to increase production of domestic sources of energy and to development and implement plans for alternative and renewable sources of energy. Just such a project has been proposed for Massachusetts.

Cape Wind is a total of 130 wind turbines that will produce up to 420 megawatts of clean, renewable energy. In average winds, Cape Wind will provide three quarters of the Cape and Islands electricity needs. The total estimate of oil this project will replace is over 113 million gallons of oil per year. Let's not even bother talking about the various forms of pollution prevented by power produced by wind versus oil.

You would think that our politicians would be shouting from the roof tops in favor of a project that would reduce the burden on their constituents and contribute to the energy independence of the country. In particular perhaps you might expect the "liberal lion" of the senate, Ted Kennedy to be talking about how this project might help the elderly and the poor on the Cape deal with soaring energy costs.

Unfortunately for all of us Senator Kennedy is more concerned with the view from his Hyannis mansion and the impact it might have on his family's sailing than he is with his constituents energy concerns.

In the end which is going to be more important to Massachusetts and the country, Cape Wind or Kennedy wind?