Election May Determine Fate of EBEC Wind Project

BARRINGTON - The East Bay Energy Consortium (EBEC) looks to rebound from a year that saw its proposed wind farm stall along with wind energy development across Rhode Island.

Much of the consortium's future depends on Election Day outcomes. In Tiverton, where EBEC seeks to build eight to 10 wind turbines, 14 candidates are running for the seven-member Town Council. The group hopes that candidates who are receptive to the wind farm proposal win seats on the council. This year, council members David Nelson and Joan Chabot actively lobbied to dismantle EBEC. Both are seeking re-election.

EBEC's chairwoman, Jeanne-Marie Napolitano of Newport, noted at the group's Nov. 5 meeting that several candidates were vowing to prevent EBEC from using eminent domain to secure land for the project.

Eminent domain, Napolitano said, had long been dropped as part of EBEC's aim of becoming a quasi-government agency. Several challengers runniing for the Tiverton council, she said, were at least open to considering the EBEC proposal.

The consortium, however, is partly to blame for allowing misconceptions about the group to persist. "We did some missteps," Napolitano said.

The energy collaborative agreed that after the election it would reach out to city and town councils to explain its goals and rebuild its reputation.

"Just setting the record straight is step one," EBEC project manager Eric Busch said.

Informing cities and towns within the consortium that they will not be asked to fund the wind project nor assume any risk or liability for the cost is crucial, Busch said. Explaining legislation that establishes EBEC as a nonprofit also will be a focus. As a nonprofit, EBEC could partner with the state to issue bonds to fund the $50 million $60 million Tiverton project, according to Busch.

Step backwards

The regional renewable energy collaborative lost one of its nine municipal representatives last month, after the Bristol Town Council withdrew its participation over anti-wind-energy sentiment and a dislike for renewable energy mandates. Fallout from the 38 Studios fiasco didn't help, as EBEC received much of its funding from the state Economic Development Corporation (EDC).

The current eight-community group has picked up stakes from Bristol and now holds its monthly meeting in Barrington. Bristol also served as the fiscal agent for EBEC and the consortium is considering asking Barrington to assume that role. The function does not impose a cost or liability to the town.

This spring, EBEC ran into a firestorm of opposition to a Statehouse bill to establish the consortium as a quasi-government agency. A small, politically driven opposition group scared many town councils, state legislators and even Gov. Lincoln Chafee into dropping support for the proposal. Opponents keyed on the proposed power of eminent domain, a power most quasi-government agencies in Rhode Island possess.

The legislation was changed twice to remove the provision, but the effort to regain support occurred just as the EDC was reeling from the 38 Studio scandal. The bill to establish EBEC as a nonprofit died in committee.

Napolitano said Senate President Teresa Paiva Weed confirmed that the Senate is likely to support the revised legislation, but support from the House of Representatives is uncertain.

The troubled Portsmouth High Sschool wind turbine also fueled doubt about public wind turbine projects. Since June, the town has struggled to replace a broken gearbox in its 336-foot-high turbine. The town is considering a public-private partnership to pay for the estimated $760,000 in repairs and help manage the 3-year-old turbine.

In recent months, opponents to wind energy seized on the troubles in Portsmouth and at the EDC to defeat public wind proposals in Westerly, Jamestown and Middletown.

The legislative delay has hit EBEC's funding. Only $56,000 remains in the budget and there was no mention of additional cash from the EDC, which faces a new lawsuit from the state over the 38 Studios debacle.

"We're very much at that point where we have to be more than frugal," Busch said.

The Tiverton wind proposal is, however, "still project 1A," Busch said. Funds are set aside to complete the wind study at the town's industrial park. Money also is available to promote the legislation when the General Assembly convenes in January.

Other projects

EBEC also plans to consider smaller energy-efficiency projects such as low-energy street lighting. Partnering with local colleges and universities on projects also has been discussed.

But the elections in Tiverton and across the state may quickly decide the fate of the wind project - EBEC's main focus since it was founded in 2009.

"We gotta find out if we have a project or not," said Garry Plunkett, Tiverton's EBEC representative.

Tiverton's newly elected Town Council is scheduled to meet Nov. 13.