When I met Bill do Carmo, I was struck by the paleness of his eyes. He looked like a seer or an oracle — a face out of Shakespeare or Moby Dick. Immediately, he was saying things that connected the fight for rent control to centuries of activism in the same neighborhood. “New Bedford has […]
offshore wind
Posted inEnvironment, Local, South Coast Bureau
Avangrid’s New England Wind wins federal approval for 129 offshore turbines
Another proposed offshore wind development received federal approval on Tuesday, setting the stage for the construction of up to 129 new turbines in the federal waters south of Massachusetts and Rhode Island. The federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management granted approval to Avangrid for a pair of proposed wind farms identified as New England Wind […]
Posted inEnvironment, Local, South Coast Bureau
Fishermen displaced by offshore wind farm apply for compensation
On a recent weekday afternoon, fishermen sat around a large table at the New Bedford Port Authority, learning to fill out an online form that could entitle them to financial compensation from a company that some fishermen have treated as their sworn enemy. Vineyard Wind, the offshore wind developer, is constructing a 62-turbine wind farm […]
Posted inEnvironment, Local, The Weekly Catch
Preparing for coastal erosion, Vineyard Wind to compensate fishermen, and more
Offshore Wind company Vineyard Wind is establishing a fund to pay fishermen for financial losses they may suffer as a result of the wind farm being built near Martha’s Vineyard. As South Coast Bureau Reporter Ben Berke tells us, it’s the first program of its kind in the nation. And the General Assembly is considering a bill that would create a comprehensive plan to deal with threats to the Rhode Island coastline. We hear from bill sponsor State Rep. Tina Spears. Meanwhile, Newport Bureau Reporter Cheryl Hatch talks with a group of residents in Portsmouth that are taking storm and flood preparedness into their own hands. Also, we have a studio session with Keith McCurdy of Providence-based gothic folk band Vudu Sister. Plus: a look back on the week in politics; and a few recommendations on what to do this week.
Posted inEnvironment, Local, South Coast Bureau
Developers seek to get offshore wind back on track with latest bids to New England states
Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island received bids for new wind farms on Wednesday from offshore wind developers seeking to get construction back on track after a string of projects were canceled last year because of rising construction costs. The bids seek to lock in higher electricity prices for offshore wind that manage to strike a […]
Posted inLocal, Newport Bureau
Climate activists protest outside Newport mansion to challenge lawsuits filed by local preservation group
On Tuesday night, the Elms mansion on Bellevue Avenue was aglow with white lights and alive with the sound of protests. “Preserve our future! Not the mansions! Drop the lawsuit! Drop it now!,” they chanted. A few cars honked in solidarity as they passed. Guests arrived in cars, passing through the gate on their way […]
Posted inBusiness, Environment, South Coast Bureau
How many jobs does an offshore wind farm create?
A new report from Vineyard Wind, the developer building America’s first utility-scale offshore wind farm, offers some of the clearest answers yet to a surprisingly complex question.
Posted inArticle, Local, Newport Bureau
Southern New England states announce new wind energy agreement
Officials from Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Connecticut have signed a multi-state agreement for procurement of offshore wind.
Posted inEpisode, Housing, The Weekly Catch
Offshore wind, housing insecurity in Newport, homelessness solutions in Woonsocket, and more
Rhode Island Energy this week dropped their plans to be part of another large wind farm project off the coast. But that’s not slowing down the push to put up more of these giant turbines to generate renewable energy. We’ll get the latest from South Coast Bureau Reporter Ben Berke. And, a look back on an eventful week in politics from Political Reporter Ian Donnis. Also, two stories about housing insecurity in Rhode Island—one from Newport Bureau Reporter Cheryl Hatch, about a man who was priced out of Newport, now living in his car; and another from Health Reporter Lynn Arditi, about Woonsocket’s latest effort to address homelessness in the city. Plus, Artscape Producer James Baumgartner looks at an immersive new exhibit at the Providence College Galleries, and offers a few tips on what to do this week.
Posted inArticle, South Coast Bureau
A decade in the making, parts for America’s first major offshore wind farm arrive in New Bedford
A barge carrying massive turbine components for Vineyard Wind One arrived in New Bedford’s harbor Wednesday afternoon. It was a symbolic step forward for a historic seaport where leaders have spent more than a decade fighting for an early role in America’s emerging offshore wind industry.