The Cape Cod resort area, famous for sandy beaches and centuries-old fishing villages, could in the next few years claim a new title of home to the US first offshore wind farm.

The US has experienced a surge in investment in wind power over the past four years, more than tripling its ability to turn wind into electricity. But construction has been entirely on land and largely in America's rural midsection - leaving open the costly challenge of how to transmit power to the densely populated coasts where it is most needed.

That could be changing. Developers have proposed wind farms off Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Delaware and New Jersey to meet the electricity needs of the East Coast.

"They're building these wind farms in the Midwest fast, which is great. The problem is there's no people," said Rhode Island Governor Donald Carcieri. "Where is the energy needed? The energy is needed here on the East Coast."

The Cape Wind project in 2001 became the country's first major proposed offshore wind farm. Its developers aim to construct 130 towers, which will tower 134 metres above the surface of the Nantucket Sound.

To supporters, Cape Wind represents Massachusetts' chance to be a leader in clean energy. It would generate 420 megawatts of power, enough for 336,000 typical American homes.

Opponents, including Democratic Senator Edward Kennedy, who has a home on the Cape, say the towers, eight kilometres from shore, would be a risk to navigation and hurt tourism.

The Obama administration sees investment in alternative energy sources like wind and solar, which do not emit carbon dioxide that aggravates global warming, as a cornerstone of its economic and energy policies.