Deepwater CEO defends costs of wind energy
The chief executive officer of Deepwater Wind answered criticism on Wednesday about the high price of power from a wind farm that his company has proposed off Block Island, saying that a premium should be expected for a type of project that has never been done before in the United States.
The benefits for Rhode Island to have the first offshore wind farm in the United States are many, William M. Moore told the state Public Utilities Commission during a public hearing on a proposed power-purchase agreement between Deepwater and National Grid. The wind farm would generate clean, nonpolluting power at a stable rate. It could prove the viability of offshore wind in this country and be a stepping stone to Deepwater’s second project in Rhode Island, a 100-turbine offshore wind farm that would create up to 800 jobs.
And it has the potential to kick-start a renewable-energy manufacturing industry in the state. Moore told the commission that a turbine manufacturer has already approached the state to explore the possibility of opening a facility in Rhode Island. But he warned that the state’s position is precarious. Read more…
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