美國提倡鱈魚角風場興建計畫的人士，目前正忙著抵制一個海岸防衛隊的授權法修正案。由於該法案將授予麻州政府否決風場興建的權力，而現任州長羅尼正是這項計畫主要的反對者。因此該修正案若通過，無疑的將封殺這個全美第一個離岸再生風能計畫。
此事緣自於本案協調會本月初在法案中加入前述附加條款，如今尚未經參眾兩院通過，這可說此開發案爭議持續的最新一場政治角力。這項風電計畫係在麻州海岸6英里外，建立高達130座渦輪機的風力發電場，此開發案爭議至今已延燒5年。
計畫中的渦輪機高250英尺，將製造超過420百萬瓦特（MW）乾淨而可再生的能源。鱈魚角風電計畫總裁高登（Jim Gordon）表示，馬蹄鐵淺灘區（Horseshoe Shoal）的地理位置擁有「全東岸最棒的風力資源」。
然而這項計畫卻引起部分鱈魚角居民的激烈反對，居民們批評這項計畫的環境衝擊，並堅決反對在許多人認為美國最美麗的水域建立風力場。反對者表示，這項計畫規模太大，位置太靠近海岸，而且將對淺灘區造成無法挽回的損害，不但會危及野生生物，更會傷害該區的經濟和生活品質。
一般認為其家族在南塔基海峽雅尼斯港擁有產業的參議員甘迺迪，是該附加條款背後主要的推動力。綠色和平組織美國分部執行主任帕薩坎坦多(John Passacantando) 對記者表示，鱈魚角居民應該擔心乾淨能源和全球暖化對鱈魚角群島的衝擊，「而不是雅尼斯港華廈的視野。」
參眾兩院仍必須通過協調委員會最後的報告。雖然修正案條文特別針對鱈魚角發展案，但是令人憂慮的是修正案的通過將對美國其他地區海岸風力發展管理造成負面的連帶影響。
Advocates of a plan to build a wind farm off the coast of Cape Cod are scrambling to defeat an amendment to a U.S. Coast Guard reauthorization bill that would effectively kill the first offshore wind energy project in the United States. The provision gives the Massachusetts governor the right to veto the wind farm. The current incumbent Mitt Romney, a Republican, is a vocal opponent of the Cape Wind project.
The rider, added to the legislation earlier this month by a conference committee without the approval of either the House or the Senate, is the latest twist in a five year battle over the proposal to build a 130 turbine wind farm some six miles off the coast of Massachusetts.
The 250 foot high turbines would produce up to 420 megawatts of clean, renewable energy. The site in Horseshoe Shoal has "some of the best wind resources on the East Coast," said Cape Wind President Jim Gordon
But the plan has sparked passionate opposition from some residents of Cape Cod who criticize the environmental impact of the project and adamantly oppose the construction of a wind farm in what many deem one of the nation's most beautiful bodies of water. The project, opponents say, is too big, too close to the shore and will irrevocably damage the shoals, endanger wildlife and harm the region's economy and quality of life.
Senator Kennedy, whose family owns property at Hyannis Port on Nantucket Sound, is widely believed to be the driving force behind the rider.
John Passacantando, executive director of Greenpeace USA, told reporters Cape residents should be worried about need for clean energy and the potential impact of global warming on the Cape Islands, "not the view from the Hyannis mansion."
The House and the Senate must still approve the final conference report. Although the language in the amendment specifically targets the Cape Wind project, there is concern that its passage would have a negative ripple effect on other attempts to harness wind energy off the nation's coast.
