A presidential cup of coffee with a dash of Cape Wind?

By Beth Daley, Globe Staff

Will President Obama get a mouthful about the Cape Wind project with a double scoop of rocky road?

As the First Family descends on Martha’s Vineyard, a National Journal story by Amy Harder notes that wind farm supporters who work in local ice cream shops to farms could serve some encouragement along with a latte or locally grown corn for the President to shake loose a final federal decision on the wind farm.

A wind farm off Denmark (AP)

“We are hoping for him to speak out about this issue specifically because of the national significance of this," said Barbara Hill, executive director of Clean Power Now in the article.

The influential opposition group, Alliance to Protect Nantucket Sound, also hopes to bend the president’s ear about why he should prevent the 130 turbine project from being placed in Nantucket Sound.

The nation’s first proposed offshore wind farm is in its eighth year of federal review and a Presidential word in favor or against would likely provide fresh political capital and publicity regarding its fate. Obama has spoken in favor about the need for offshore wind farms to help transition the U.S. to a cleaner energy economy.

Meanwhile yesterday, the wind farm developer, Cape Wind Associates, used the sweltering temperatures – and heavy use of electricity for air conditioners – as an opportunity to note that if the farm was operating, the strong winds on Nantucket Sound would have produced a significant amount of power.