Study: Narragansett OK with wind turbines

PROVIDENCE – A majority of Narragansett residents support wind turbines in their community, according to a survey released last week by the R.I. Department of Environmental Management and town of Narragansett.

The majority of responders – 75 percent – supported land-based wind farms in Narragansett, with wind turbine development limited to one or two structures on a parcel of land and three to five wind turbines being located in town, the survey said. Seventy-five percent supported wind turbines if they could not see them from their house, while 61 percent supported wind turbines if they could be seen from their house.

Seventy-one percent supported wind turbines if they could not hear them from their house. However, support dropped to 38 percent if they could be heard from their house. Forty-one percent of responders did not support wind turbines if they could be heard from their house.

The 34-question survey was conducted in July and August and was sent to 778 randomly selected Narragansett residences from a list supplied by the town. Fifty-five percent of those selected, or 430 residents, replied to the survey, which has a sampling error margin of 5 percent. •