Plan for big offshore wind farm passes hurdle

A controversial plan to build the first large U.S. offshore wind-power farm won approval from Massachusetts authorities on Friday but still must clear federal regulatory hurdles.

The wind farm would consistently generate 170 megawatts of electricity, enough to power about 75 percent of Cape Cod and the nearby islands of Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket. At its peak, the wind farm could generate more than 400 megawatts.