The secretary of the U.S. Department of the Interior says representatives of two Native American tribes and a developer have failed to agree on a wind farm off Cape Cod by Monday's deadline, leaving the future of the initiative in the hands of an Obama administration that's pledged to make the U.S. "the world's leading exporter of clean energy."
In a statement, Secretary Ken Salazar said that he was sending the proposal on Cape Wind to the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, which has 45 days to allow the public to express its views on the project.
Salazar said he will then take comments from the council into consideration before deciding whether to approve the wind farm.
"The time has come to bring the reviews and analysis of the Cape Wind Project to a conclusion," Salazar said. "The parties, the public and the permit applicants deserve resolution and certainty."