Pay to play took on a new meaning recently, when New Shoreham officials asked National Grid PLC to pay "a large sum" of money in exchange for granting a request for a delay in the completion date of the undersea power cable that is being laid to connect the Block Island wind energy farm, and the Block Island grid, to the mainland.
Sadly, while this request seems to be a first, it follows longstanding Rhode Island tradition of creating a hostile environment for business.
National Grid asked to delay completion of the cable (a request it later withdrew) from June 21 to June 30, the result of unexpected complications on the mainland end of the project. Town Council has not made clear what it wanted the cash for, although National Grid said it was for purposes unrelated to the power project, a contention the council has not refuted.
To its credit, National Grid refused to play this game. The question is, what will the citizens of Block Island do about it? •