Deepwater’s deception
The Block Island Times | Oct 07, 2013 | block-island.villagesoup.com
I’ve previously observed that “it was Deepwater’s own deception and inconsistencies that paved the way to their downfall” (not to win infrastructure easements from the Town of Narragansett), second, a promise to the residents of Narragansett that we will continue our vigilance of Deepwater and, third, a warning to Deepwater “don’t be secretive any more”.
It took them only one month to attempt another secretive procedure – this time at the state level. On Sept. 22, the State Properties Committee announced an agenda that would have included a seemingly innocuous item to consider an offshore wind project, obviously an alternative proposal for Deepwater’s power cable to make landfall now at Scarborough Beach. That meeting was eventually canceled.
This new scheme, little as we know about it, is outrageous in its proposed alignment and in Deepwater’s failure to release their new plans first to the public via a revised Environmental Report. Deepwater used precisely the same tactic one year ago by negotiating first with Narragansett officials for several months privately before releasing their original Report. A revised Report must be released and scrutinized by the public before any negotiations between Deepwater and state agencies are scheduled, or have an appearance of having been discussed. An exact repeat of this tactic at the state level goes beyond the pale.
There are officials in state government who should, actually must, realize that this deception was a major factor in the Narragansett Town Council’s unanimous rejection of Deepwater’s arrogant proposal one month ago. The other aspect of the proposal that helped defeat it will become apparent soon to state authorities as they examine the outrageous profits Deepwater and its backer, D. E. Shaw, will receive through the generosity of all electricity ratepayers in Rhode Island. Transparency is the key ingredient needed here.
Robert Shields
Narragansett
URL to article: https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2013/10/07/deepwaters-deception/