Mixed views on Block Island over proposed wind farm
NEW SHOREHAM, R.I. — Looking out beyond Block Island’s Southeast Light and the Mohegan Bluffs below, the Atlantic Ocean stretches to the horizon. On a clear day, the wind-whipped waters meet the pale sky in a wash of blue.Islanders covet this view. Tourists make the 13-mile ferry trip south from mainland Rhode Island to see it. It’s what draws Rosemarie Ives to her family’s summer home overlooking the clay bluffs each year.
“The view,” says Ives, “is precious.”
But the panorama could be on the verge of lasting change. Eight wind turbines are proposed in the ocean three miles southeast of Block Island. They will rise 450 feet above the water from steel frames anchored to the ocean floor. During the day, their sleek white towers and slowly turning blades will be visible from the island. At night, at least when planes are approaching, red warning lights on top of each one will blink off and on in an otherwise dark sky. read more…
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