Donald L. Carcieri: Let’s not lose the wind opportunity
Rhode Island is on the verge of a new revolution: a revolution powered by wind; a revolution that will bring with it a new industry and thousands of jobs; a revolution that will lead our state and nation to greater energy independence.
The wind off of the Atlantic coast of the U.S. is considered the “Saudi Arabia of Wind.” Virtually all the East Coast governors have joined an Atlantic States Wind Coalition with the goal of lessening our dependence on foreign fossil fuels by developing utility-scale offshore wind farms. Quonset Point has the potential to be the center of this industry as the “Silicon Valley of Renewable Energy.”
Key to Rhode Island’s economic-development and renewable-energy agenda is the proposed Block Island Demonstration Wind Project. The opportunity to be the first state to construct an offshore wind farm presents dramatic advantages to our state, including attracting the jobs and investment dollars of offshore wind-turbine manufacturers, blade manufacturers and related businesses. Read more…
