Statement by Cape Wind Communications Director Mark Rodgers:

Though we disagree with the comment of the Advisory Council, we are pleased that Secretary Salazar now has a complete record in front of him to make the final decision.

It’s also important to remember that the Council's comments regarding historic preservation address only one of the many important concerns that Secretary Salazar will evaluate and balance in the days to come.

The bulk of the record was contained in a very favorable Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) issued by the Minerals Management Service (MMS) of the Department of Interior last year that looked at every benefit and impact of the project. The FEIS found Horseshoe Shoal to be the optimal site for this project.

The Council's comment is also at odds with the findings of the MMS, which just two months ago concluded that, "the results of the analysis of the project alternatives indicated that the proposed action is most feasible and least detrimental when considering multiple environmental, technical, economic and social factors."

We’re very hopeful that when Secretary Salazar reviews the complete record he will conclude that the verified public benefits of cleaner air, greater energy independence, hundreds of new American jobs and mitigating climate change will far outweigh any impacts and that he will approve Cape Wind.

The approval of Cape Wind will launch a whole new industry in the United States of clean offshore renewable energy development that will one day be followed by many other projects that will light up the east coast and create tens of thousands of American jobs.