Articles filed under Offshore Wind from Rhode Island
At a recent joint meeting with CRMC’s Fishermen’s Advisory Board and Habitat Advisory Board, fishermen said the cables can harm fishing gear. They said the electrical voltage may cause sharks to bite the cables, while the voltage may slow fish and disrupt the food chain. The fishermen also wanted assurances that Deepwater Wind wouldn’t abandon the wind farms’ cables, towers, and foundations after they exceed their use in 20 years or so.
Geologists examine R.I. Sound seabed for wind turbines
Deepwater is set to embark on a study that could last a month or more to determine the underwater geology of 256 square miles of Rhode Island Sound about 18 miles southeast of Block Island. There, in waters that it’s leasing from the federal government, the Providence-based company plans to install dozens and dozens of wind turbines.
R.I. squid fishermen fear wind power
Rhode Island fishermen say a patch of the Atlantic Ocean south of Martha’s Vineyard is among the best places around to catch squid. They are also the same waters in which a developer selected by Massachusetts plans to install up to 100 giant wind turbines that would supply clean, renewable energy to the state.
Rhode Island republicans call for marine life study commission to study effects of wind turbines
The representatives are renewing their calls for a study commission in light of Deepwater Wind’s recent announcement of plans to expand the offshore wind farm off the Rhode Island coast.
Massachusetts and Rhode Island announce large offshore wind projects
Massachusetts and Rhode Island have announced offshore wind projects aimed at delivering a combined 1,200 megawatts of energy, enough to power 400,000 homes.
R.I. selects Deepwater Wind to build 400-megawatt offshore wind farm
That Block Island price, which started at 24.4 cents per kilowatt hour and is escalating at 3.5 percent a year, is significantly higher than the price National Grid pays for power from fossil fuel-burning generators and other conventional sources. It is, however, competitive with other renewable energy projects that have been developed in Rhode Island. It is unclear whether Vineyard Wind’s price is lower than the price from the Deepwater project.
Offshore wind farms concern fisherpeople
Many fisherpeople see a future where segments of their industry will ultimately disappear unless the federal government ensures their concerns are taken into account in the construction and development of wind farms. Fisherpeople’s fears include the incompatibility of certain types of fishing gear with the clustered placement of wind turbines and a lack of site-specific research regarding economic and ecological impacts of the turbines.
Commercial fishermen question wind farm video
“Squid, flounders, scallops and other species need sandy bottom without structure to thrive,” she said. “So, the turbine bases not only destroy their habitat, but also introduce an entirely different ecosystem that attracts species that didn’t aggregate in the area before.”
Wind farm blamed for higher mainland power rates
“Newport residents, as well as residents of other Communities, have received new electric and gas bills that are giving them anxiety and sticker shock due to huge increases; And... the new distribution charges are increasing bills by huge percentages and are compromising residents’ ability to pay necessary life expenses for rent, food, medical needs; And... the RI PUC’s decision to put the significant increase in renewable power costs from off-shore wind and net-metering into the Distribution charge and not the Power Charge so that consumers cannot opt to purchase equivalent power from outside Rhode Island as provided by law...”
Fishermen worry wind farms could damage business
Scola is concerned about state and federal regulations. But his big concern is the prospect of hundreds, and perhaps even thousands, of giant wind turbines spread out in the New York Bight, an area along the Atlantic Coast that extends from southern New Jersey to Montauk Point. It’s one of the most productive fishing grounds on the Eastern Seaboard.
Think Wind-Generated Power Is Saving People Money? Check Out America’s First Offshore Wind Farm
“The idea that we subsidize any business on the backs of ratepayers is poor policy and to have regular Rhode Islanders pay 24 cents per kilowatt hour in a state that already has higher costs than normal is an unfortunate way to use the little people to subsidize a corporate welfare program,” said Giovanni Cicione, a local lawyer, conservative activist, and former chairman of the state GOP.
Offshore Wind Turbine May Have Killed Young Whale
“If necropsy shows that a perfectly healthy whale beached itself where offshore wind turbines do exist, they need to really check what kind of sound these things are putting out,” Bonnie Brady, director of the Long Island Commercial Fishing Association who regularly discusses the impacts of noise on marine mammals, told The Daily Caller News Foundation. “There have been an unusual amount of strandings this year.”
Nat’l Grid substation cost triples; Increases expected charges
Wright was told that the revised cost of the substation would be $1,835,973 rather than the $550,000 previously estimated. The cost of the transmission cable also went from an initial estimated price tag of $75,000,000 to $125,575,127. Block Island rate payers will bear the entire cost of the substation. The cost of the transmission cable will be socialized.
Regulators updated on first U.S. offshore wind farm operations, off Block Island
A turbine isn't spinning at the nation's first offshore wind farm, but repairs are expected to be complete soon. ...There was an issue with a cable connection on the turbine, but it should be back up within days, said Paul Murphy, the company’s vice president for operations and engineering. The same turbine previously was taken offline while its generator was repaired after a drill bit was left inside.
Portion of transmission cable needs to be reburied
Starting 200 feet from shore, the next 80 feet of cable are currently only three feet below the ocean, and will need to be reburied.
Deepwater gets OK for full throttle at Block Island Wind Farm
That price starts at 23.5 cents per kilowatt hour, but only remains in effect until Jan. 1 when it rises to 24.4 cents -- nearly three times the blended price National Grid currently pays for the rest of its power.
Haliade turbine down for repairs at Block Island
One of the five General Electric 6MW Haliade turbines installed at Deepwater Wind’s Block Island offshore project is reportedly down for repairs, potentially delaying the wind farm’s full commissioning.
Con: Wind an even bigger boondoggle than ethanol
Before we become too hopeful about the prospects of using offshore wind power as a fuel source of the future, let’s not forget that government data shows that offshore wind power cannot survive in a competitive environment without huge taxpayer subsidies.
The nation’s first offshore wind farm is ready to go, despite critics’ blowback
Mary Jane Balser, who owns Block Island Grocery, typically the island’s biggest electricity consumer, is even more blunt. For years she tried to win grants to connect the island to the mainland electricity grid in an effort to escape the unreliability of diesel generators. “Financially,” she said this month, the wind farm “just makes no sense.” Rhode Islanders will pay more for power to subsidize a project benefiting Deepwater’s private investors, Balser said. “It’s not benefiting Block Island. It’s not benefiting Rhode Island. The notoriety of being the first in the nation? Can I take that home and eat it?”
America’s first offshore wind farm may power up a new industry
The towering machines stand a few miles from shore, in a precise line across the seafloor, as rigid in the ocean breeze as sailors reporting for duty.