Save The Bay submits comment on Deepwater Wind project

By Rhonda Miller
PBN Staff Writer

PROVIDENCE - Save The Bay submitted comments to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Tuesday in support of the proposal for construction and operation of Deepwater Wind’s offshore wind farm.

The nonprofit Save The Bay, which works to protect and restore Narragansett Bay, says the Deepwater Wind proposal effectively minimizes adverse environmental impacts and public use conflicts.

“We are supportive of the development of renewable energy resources, properly sited,” Save The Bay Executive Director Jonathan Stone said in a statement. “Renewable energy, including wind power generation, must be part of our nation’s energy portfolio. We believe that this pilot project in Rhode Island waters may prove to be an important step forward in advancing the development of clean, sustainable wind energy resources along the eastern seaboard.”

The Deepwater Wind proposal involves the construction of a 30-megawatt offshore wind farm in Rhode Island state waters, three miles southeast of Block Island.

Save The Bay’s comments include recommendations on project design, construction practices, ongoing monitoring and decommissioning.