Gov. Don Carcieri this week signed modified legislation that would allow Deepwater Wind to install up to eight wind turbines in state waters south of Block Island capable of generating 12 megawatts of electricity operating at 40 percent efficiency.

Can Barrington handle a wind turbine? According to Richard Asinof, chairman of the Barrington Wind Power Exploratory Committee, the answer is a confident yes - "the committee reached a clear consensus," he said. The committee members proceeded to prove their point through an hour-long presentation to the Barrington Town Council on Monday night that culminated several months of research. Their findings were that Barrington could sustain a turbine at five locations in town - Barrington High School, Barrington Middle School, the Legion Way pump station, the DPW building and town hall - at a start-up cost ranging from $1.2 million to $1.4 million. Depending on the site, a turbine could produce a simple payback of those costs in 11 to 13 years, according to the committee's data. The more important question, however, is if the town council wants one.

The group that was instrumental in bringing a municipal wind turbine to Portsmouth has been directed to undertake a study to show the errors in the procedure that led to what has been called "a $2 million mistake."

Six local environmental groups have voiced concerns about a plan to construct a wind turbine at Black Point, a coastal site in Narragansett that is protected for public use. The organizations last week sent a letter to Gov. Donald Carcieri '65, questioning the site's suitability. According to a press release from the letter's signatories, then-Gov. Edward DiPrete protected Black Point in 1987 to "prevent a condominium development on important land with recognized rights of public access to the shore."