Washington ( CNN ) -- A massive offshore wind farm planned for Cape Cod that has generated fierce political and legal controversy has cleared all federal and state regulatory hurdles . The Federal Aviation Administration said Wednesday the Cape Wind project , the first of its kind in the United States , would not interfere with air traffic navigation and could proceed with certain conditions . Previous agency approvals were challenged in court , including a ruling last year that forced the latest FAA safety evaluation . A leading opposition group said another legal challenge was possible . The Obama administration first approved the power generating project , which has now been on the books for more than a decade , in April 2010 despite opposition from residents . Opponents over the years have included the late Sen. Edward Kennedy , a Democrat of Massachusetts whose family compound is in Hyannis Port . 125 years of wind power . Critics claim the wind farm with its 130 turbines would threaten wildlife and aesthetics of Nantucket Sound . Some local residents also fear it will drive down property values . The administration has pushed a `` green energy '' agenda nationally as a way to create jobs and lessen U.S. dependence on oil imports . That effort , however , has been sharply criticized by congressional Republicans who have said certain high-profile projects are politically driven . They also have skewered certain Energy Department programs that extended millions in taxpayer loans and other aid to alternative energy companies or projects that faltered or did not meet expectations . The Republican-led House Oversight and Government Reform Committee is investigating the political assertions around Cape Wind as part of a broader review of `` green energy '' projects supported by the administration . The panel 's chairman , California 's Darrell Issa , wrote President Barack Obama last week saying that White House interest in the Massachusetts project is `` well known '' and that the FAA had been under political pressure to approve it . Candidates spar over energy future . A group opposing the project , the Alliance to Protect Nantucket Sound , also said in a statement to CNN that the FAA disregarded safety and asserted the decision was politically driven . However , the FAA said that it restudied the issue and approval was based solely on safety considerations . A key condition imposed by regulators will require Cape Wind developers to put lights on each of the 440-foot turbines and use specific paint colors to increase visibility for pilots . Cape Wind is being built by private developer Energy Management Inc. , a Massachusetts-based energy company . Developers estimate the project will create 600 to 1,000 jobs during construction and 150 full time jobs once complete . `` This FAA approval allows Cape Wind to move forward and jump-start the new American industry in offshore wind power that will help light up the East Coast , '' Cape Wind spokesman Mark Rogers told CNN . The Alliance to Protect Nantucket Sound said it would continue to fight Cape Wind . `` No pilot or passenger should allow this politically driven decision to stand . This decision can once again be appealed , '' the Alliance said . If financing can be finalized and Cape Wind is eventually built , the Interior Department 's lease will allow it to operate for 25 years , which is the average lifespan of a wind farm .
Federal Aviation Administration says the planned project off Cape May is safe for air traffic . Republican congressional committee chairman says the agency was under political pressure . Residents have mounted fierce opposition to wind farm , saying it would threaten wildlife . The EPA says its decision to approve the project was based solely on safety .