PROVIDENCE – Gov. Donald L. Carcieri this afternoon named a panel of experts to evaluate bids from private contractors interested in creating a wind farm off the coast of Block Island.

“The selection of the team, to evaluate the seven wind farm proposals that were submitted last week, is another important step in our march towards bringing wind power to Rhode Island,” Carcieri said. Seven private companies filed bids in response to the administration’s April request for proposals (RFP), expressing an interest in designing, constructing, financing and operating the offshore wind-energy project. (READ MORE)

The panel will evaluate the state’s seven bids on the basis of total cost to Rhode Island ratepayers; the bidders’ experience in and qualifications for constructing wind-energy projects; and the number of jobs and tax dollars each proposal would generate, the governor said.

The Wind Energy Proposal Evaluation Team includes experts in energy, development, economic development, oceanography and public policy – but it has no members from the R.I. Coastal Resources Management Council, the agency charged with overseeing coastal projects in Rhode Island.

Its members are:

• David M. Farmer, dean of the University of Rhode Island’s Graduate School of Oceanography

• Andrew Dzykewicz, commissioner of the R.I. Office of Energy Resources

• Thomas F. Ahern, administrator of the R.I. Division of Public Utilities and Carriers

• Saul Kaplan, executive director of the R.I. Economic Development Corporation

• Christopher Long, a policy analyst in the governor’s office.

“The members of this team will represent and evaluate a broad array of concerns,” the governor said. “Tom Ahern will represent the interests of Rhode Island ratepayers, while Saul Kaplan will work to ensure that this project fits with the state’s economic development plans. And with the inclusion of Dr. Farmer, from the URI Graduate School of Oceanography, we can be sure that we are taking into consideration all the elements that will be important for selecting the best project.”

Top contenders will be invited to appear before the panel to present their proposals in detail, Carcieri said last week. The wind-energy team is expected to complete its work by late summer. The selected bidder will then begin seeking permits and conducting the necessary environmental and siting studies.

The naming of the panel is the latest step toward Carcieri’s goal of increasing the use of renewable energy sources in Rhode Island to meet 20 percent of the state’s electrical needs. His 2006 plan called for about 15 percent of the state’s average electrical burden to be wind-generated.

A report commissioned by the R.I. Office of Energy Resources, and published last June, ranked 10 potential wind-energy sites by factors including the amount and cost of energy they could yield, whether they were in state or federal waters and the anticipated visibility from shore of an installation at each site. That report concluded that Carcieri’s goal was achievable, finding that 15 percent of the state’s average energy demand could be generated, at a competitive cost, by establishing a wind farm at offshore sites the study identified as areas J and K.

Carcieri previously has said the project may cost up to $1.9 billion and require the installation of an estimated 105 wind turbines. Besides helping meet the state’s renewable energy goals, the wind farm is intended to reduce the cost of electricity for Block Island customers.

Additional information, including the State of Rhode Island’s full request for proposals (RFP), is available from the governor’s office at www.governor.ri.gov.