Revolution Wind halt concerns R.I. college leaders: ‘It pulls the plug on a sector that has promised some real growth’
CCRI has provided nearly 200 union workers with Global Wind Organization basic safety training, preparing iron workers and electricians to safely work on wind turbines in the ocean.
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Revolution Wind is a joint project of Danish firm Ørsted and the New England utility company Eversource. Ørsted provided a $500,000 grant to construct the state’s first Global Wind Organization training facility at CCRI’s Lincoln campus, and CCRI invested another $500,00 in the facility, where workers train in a pool and learn to climb and descend from wind turbines.
Costigan said she hopes the Trump administration will reconsider its stop-work order for the Revolution Wind project.
“Offshore wind represents not only a critical component of the state’s clean energy future but a pathway to family-sustaining careers for Rhode Islanders,” Costigan said. “We can’t afford to stop investing in the future, and we will ensure Rhode Islanders are ready when clean energy opportunities return.”
University of Rhode Island President Marc Parlange said he is “concerned indeed” about the decision to halt the wind farm project.
URI has an ocean engineering program that offers bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees. Many URI students work in the offshore wind industry, and in engineering consulting and construction firms.
Also, many URI faculty members are engaged in research on offshore wind, including structural health monitoring to enhance the lifetime of wind turbines, assessing the impact of construction of wind farms on sea life, and development of floating offshore wind platforms.
“Renewable energy is key to addressing the global climate crisis, and offshore wind offers a significant opportunity to generate clean, reliable power,” Parlange said in a statement.
New England has some of the most favorable wind conditions in the country, making the region a good spot for offshore wind development, and Rhode Island is “a national leader” in that field, he said.
“From studying the impacts of offshore wind on marine ecosystems and coastal communities to developing floating turbine technology, structural monitoring, and underwater acoustic detection, URI is a leader in creating science-based renewable energy solutions that consider environmental, social, and economic impacts,” Parlange said. “Our coordinated approach highlights the critical role of research universities in shaping our energy future.”
US Representative Seth Magaziner, a Rhode Island Democrat, said Rhode Island has been looking for years for an economic boost that would provide jobs that pay well.
“Offshore wind was one of the great success stories-in-the-making for Rhode Island’s economy and also for our workforce,” he said. “The jobs from offshore wind that we had been anticipating ran the gamut from blue-collar trades jobs that don’t require a four-year degree, to engineering jobs that are very highly technical, and everything in between.”
Along the way, Rhode Island has seen a lot of innovative work and research related to wind power going on at URI, CCRI, and Rhode Island College, Magaziner said.
“It would be a tremendous setback if this stop-work order continues,” he said. “It’s an order that, in my view, is not only misguided but likely illegal, and it cannot be allowed to stand.”
Edward Fitzpatrick can be reached at edward.fitzpatrick@globe.com. Follow him @FitzProv.