BOSTON, Aug. 21 (UPI) -- A federal judge in Boston has ruled in support of the country's first offshore wind farm, making it harder for opponents to challenge the operation.
The decision was against an initial effort to block construction of 130 wind turbines off Cape Cod, ruling the state has no authority to stop construction of a test tower now operating there.
The Boston Globe said the 197-foot tower, which became operational last spring, tracks wind speeds, wave heights, currents and other information needed to design the proposed wind farm. The plaintiffs challenged the tower in part to test the prospects for a legal fight against the wind farm itself.
The lawsuit argued the developer of the proposed wind farm needed a state permit to build the tower. But District Judge Joseph Tauro said the state's jurisdiction over fisheries did not extend to construction.
Opponents of the farm said they will appeal the decision.
