RI coastal council approves wind-measuring tower
PROVIDENCE, R.I. — The state Coastal Resources Management Council has approved applications from Deepwater Wind to install a meteorological tower and other data-gathering equipment on Block Island and in waters nearby.
The council voted in favor of the applications at a meeting Monday night. Once permits are issued, Deepwater will be ready to install the equipment within weeks, according to a spokeswoman for the company.
The tower, laser radar system and an offshore barge will be used to collect weather data as part of Deepwater’s $1.5 billion plan to install more than 100 wind turbines off the coast of Rhode Island.
The company is planning two projects. The first proposal calls for putting up to eight turbines within three miles of Block Island to provide green energy to island residents who pay some of the highest electricity rates in the nation. Under the second, much larger proposal, Deepwater would build a 100-turbine wind farm about 15 miles off the Rhode Island shore.
Alex Kuffner
14 July 2009
Tags: Wind power, Wind energy
Some possibly related stories:
- Deepwater Wind to get permits for data-collecting equipment
- Deepwater gets tower approval from state
- Wind farm company looks to install weather tower on Block Island
- Deepwater nets a federal grant for bird, bat studies
- Deepwater seeks weather tower near North Light
- Council to debate wind turbine rules; Deepwater equipment approved
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