US Presidential candidate Mitt Romney

While there is no doubt that the US is the number one economy in the world and its international influence — from popular culture to military power — is second to none, trying to understand the nation’s domestic political scene is far from an easy task.

Take for example recent stories regarding climate change denial, a wind power-related lawsuit, and a new poll showing the majority of Americans favour wind energy.

Last week, at the first of three scheduled Presidential TV debates, a number of newspapers and websites have reported that neither Democrat candidate Barack Obama nor Republican Mitt Romney are even speaking about climate change.

With the US national election only three months away, the country’s largest grassroots environmental organisation has come out with a report that states fossil fuel interests are spending large amounts of money attacking clean energies like wind and solar power.

Published last week, the Sierra Club’s 20-page report “Clean Energy Under Seige” said renewable energy’s strong growth and success over the past decade has made the green sector a target for unprecedented new attacks from oil, coal, and gas interests.

Nancy Sutley, White House Council on Environmental Quality

As US citizens prepare for the summer season and federal politicians lobby for votes in the upcoming November election, an increasingly acrimonious debate over extending the nation’s main wind power incentive continues.

On Monday, Nancy Sutley, President Barack Obama’s principal environmental advisor and Chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality, joined other politicians in Saint Paul, Minnesota to highlight the need for Congress to extend the existing Production Tax Credit (PTC).

After nearly a decade of environmental assessments, regulatory reviews and engineering plans, the controversial Cape Wind project was blessed by the US government Wednesday and cleared to become the nation’s first offshore wind farm.

Approval for the $1 billion, 130-turbine project off Massachusetts is expected to act as a catalyst for many more offshore wind facilities in America, which lags greatly behind Europe in harnessing the tremendous potential of marine-based breezes.

While some regulatory obstacles and possible legal action challenging the decision still need to be dealt with, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said he was confident the project would go ahead.

“With this decision we are beginning a new direction in our nation’s energy future, ushering in America’s first offshore wind energy facility and opening a new chapter in the history of this region,”
Salazar said.

According to The New York Times, supporters of the Cape Wind project — which is expected to generate enough power to meet 75% of the electricity demand for Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket Island combined — were pleased with Salazar’s decision.

“America needs offshore wind power, and with this project, Massachusetts will lead the nation,” the newspaper quoted Governor Deval Patrick saying, adding construction could begin within a year. The newspaper also quoted Ian Bowles, secretary of the Massachusetts executive office of environmental affairs, describing the announcement as “the shot heard ’round the world for American clean energy.”