IN RESPONSE to Joan Vennochi (“Unknown costs, unanswered questions," Op-ed, Aug. 19): There is nothing unknown about the cost of Cape Wind’s power, which would make up just 3 percent of the electricity supplied to National Grid consumers. The simplicity of a fixed-price contract is that we know exactly what the price of that electricity will be each year from 2013 to 2028. What’s unknown is the price of conventional electricity, most of it coming from fossil fuels, which quadrupled in price between 1998 and 2008 — that accounts for the other 97 percent of the electric bill.
So, customers could save money from Cape Wind when, if history is any indicator, the cost of coal, oil, and natural gas returns to recent highs, or spikes even higher. Conversely, consumers would pay a modest premium for this clean energy source if other fuels stay at today’s recession-driven lows, which is unlikely. But one thing is certain. The price of this clean, renewable energy will not fluctuate, and there will be no surprises down the road for consumers.
Ian Bowles,
Secretary of energy and environmental affairs Boston
REGARDING JOAN Vennochi’s "Unknown costs, unanswered questions" (Op-ed, Aug. 19): She accuses Cape Wind of not being forthcoming with information, yet the price of wind power is known.
The cost of wind power is not a variable; the unknown is fossil fuel prices and their impact on the electric bill. Because of the unpredictability of fossil fuels, their impact can only be estimated. That is no fault of Cape Wind.
Factors affecting fossil fuel prices, such as weather, the whims of dictators in oil-rich countries, and the growth of the middle class in China and India, contribute to the unknown future costs of energy.
Wind energy has long-term price stability. The use of wind power decreases the reliance on unstable foreign fossil fuels. The United States trails Europe and other parts of the world in sustainable energy.
I am 16 years old and the countless benefits of Cape Wind are clear to me.
Caroline Marshall,
East Sandwich 
