Rhode Island

Rhode Island Revises Terms as It Issues Its Largest Wind Power Solicitation

Published

1 year ago

October 16, 2023

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Rhode Island Revises Terms as It Issues Its Largest Wind Power Solicitation

Rhode Island is home to the Block Island Wind Farm, the first in the U.S. (Orsted file photo)

Published
Oct 16, 2023 6:38 PM by

The Maritime Executive

Rhode Island is moving forward with the state’s largest renewable energy solicitation after announcing it would form a three-state partnership with Connecticut and Massachusetts to review and coordinate a regional approach to offshore renewable energy. At the same time, Rhode Island is also providing additional latitude to developers to provide possible avenues to address the emerging financial challenges in the development of offshore wind energy resources.

The neighboring states each have recently had major offshore projects fall apart due to inflation pressures as well as rising costs due to supply chain problems and concerns over tax credits and incentive programs. Massachusetts agreed to let two projects pay fines to walk away from existing power purchase agreements and recently Connecticut also established a fine for a developer to cancel its power agreement. Last year, Rhode Island decided not to proceed with a proposed project saying that it was concerned over the affordability of the power coming from the offshore wind farm, while last week New York State turned down applications from developers that were seeking to increase the cost of power also citing inflation and rising costs to develop the projects.

Rhode Island’s state power company, Rhode Island Energy on Friday issued its anticipated request for proposals from offshore energy developers. The company is seeking to secure an additional 1.2 GW of offshore power to help address the state’s energy needs. The window to submit proposals runs through January 31, 2024, with the company saying that any winning bids will be announced in the summer of 2024.

“We know there’s a sense of urgency to get more renewables online and we believe this next RFP will give developers a new, unique opportunity to think creatively about how they can meet the state’s clean energy and economic development goals,” said Dave Bonenberger, president of Rhode Island Energy. He believes the structure created in the RFP will balance developers’ approach with the state’s need for affordable energy.

The RFP provides the opportunity for developers to make proposals for all or a portion of the 1.2 GW. The state is still seeking long-term power purchase agreements but it will consider inflation indexing while also citing the renewable energy certificates made available under state law. In addition, the three states said they would jointly review proposals providing developers the opportunity to potentially propose larger or multi-state projects.

“With a larger capacity available, a streamlined application process, additional flexibility on contract durations, and the potential for multi-state coordination, we believe this solicitation could provide greater economies of scale for developers,” said Bonenberger.

Rhode Island notes that it is home to the nation’s first commercial offshore wind farm located near Block Island. Transmission upgrades are also already underway for a second offshore wind project, known as Revolution Wind, which will bring more than 700 MW of energy to Connecticut and Rhode Island. The state’s Coastal Resources Management Council also recently gave its approval to Avangrid’s proposed New England Wind project (formerly known as Vineyard Wind South). The project, which calls for 84 wind turbines 14 miles from Martha’s Vineyard, would provide 804 MW of energy. It is still in the review process with the federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM).

It is unclear how the developers will respond to Rhode Island’s revised structure for proposals. The major companies have been scrambling to rework the finances on proposed projects while threatening to walk away from the American market due to what they perceive to be rigid structure that are not responding to market pressures. Recently, national lease auctions in both the UK and the U.S. received disappointing responses from the developers while the authorities have promised to revise the structures to respond to industry concerns.

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Related Topics:Costs Featured inflation offshore power proposal Rhode Island solicitation structure wind

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Rhode Island

Meet the former R.I. lawmaker taking on Deloitte after the RIBridges cybersecurity attack – The Boston Globe

Published

2 hours ago

December 20, 2024

Press Room

Meet the former R.I. lawmaker taking on Deloitte after the RIBridges cybersecurity attack – The Boston Globe

Peter Wasylyk has built a nice career out of filing class-action lawsuits.

The former state representative from Providence has been the lead attorney on some of the most high-profile class-action suits in the state, including Blue Cross Blue Shield, where he helped clients win a $17.5 million settlement in 2005. He also helped thousands of drivers in Providence secure small refunds on their speed camera tickets in 2018.

Now Wasylyk, who held office from 1985 until he lost a Democratic primary to current Representative Ray Hull in 2010, is at the center of another high-profile class-action lawsuit. He’s working with consumers to sue Deloitte Consulting following the cyberattack on the state’s public benefits system that Governor Dan McKee disclosed last week.

McKee has said hundreds of thousands of Rhode Islanders could have had their personal data exposed.

”A class-action attorney is almost enforcing regulations because it helps the consumer be able to have these larger entities comply with the regulations,” Wasylyk said this week. “It’s a good feeling [to win] for each individual because they couldn’t litigate these small claims themselves.”

In this case of the Deloitte lawsuit, Wasylyk said he was working late last Friday night when he stopped to take a break and turned on the television. He noticed that McKee was having a press conference, and tuned in. He knew immediately that he was going to be working through the weekend on a lawsuit.

”The calls and emails haven’t stopped,” Wasylyk said.

It’s too soon to say how the case will play out, but Wasylyk said he’d like both compensation and long-term credit monitoring for anyone whose data may have been compromised.

If you were wondering, yes, class-action lawsuits can be lucrative for the attorneys, too. Wasylyk said cases can last many years, and he has to pay a lot of costs up front, but the Blue Cross settlement eventually generated millions of dollars for the lawyers involved. He was also part of a major settlement involving 84,000 retirees from Sears in 2001.

But he said it’s most rewarding to deliver for a consumer who might not have the resources to fight big companies themselves.”It sounds little, but even $25 to some people means a lot,” Wasylyk said.

This story first appeared in Rhode Map, our free newsletter about Rhode Island that also contains information about local events, links to interesting stories, and more. If you’d like to receive it via e-mail Monday through Friday, you can sign up here.

Dan McGowan can be reached at dan.mcgowan@globe.com. Follow him @danmcgowan.

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Rhode Island

High School Schedule: Scores and recaps from Thursday’s games around RI

Published

10 hours ago

December 20, 2024

Press Room

High School Schedule: Scores and recaps from Thursday’s games around RI

Coaches are asked to send in game results by email – pjsports@providencejournal.com – or by calling the Sports desk between 6 and 10 p.m. on weeknights, at (401) 277-7340.

▶BOYS BASKETBALL

Division I

East Providence 55, Mount Pleasant 53

The Townies built enough of a lead in the first half that despite being outscored, 32-29, in the second frame, they were able to hold on to edge the Kilties. Tyler Gomez scored 15 points and Franklin Lopez added 10 more in the win. Ledell Henton and Benji Mordan topped the Kilties in scoring with 18 and 14 points, respectively, in the loss.

La Salle 78, North Kingstown 61

Nick Tarro poured in a game-high 21 points and teammates Jake Marcone had 19 and Lucas Gillis added 10 more as La Salle upended North Kingstown and moved to 3-0 on the season. Landon Boddington led the 1-1 Skippers with 17 points.

Barrington 60, Cumberland 40

The Eagles improved their record to 2-0 in D-1 with a dominant win over the Clippers. Barrington jumped out to a 12-0 lead and were never really challenged after that. Ryan Rigamonti scored 14 of his game high 20 points in the third quarter to pace the 2-0 Eagles and Caleb Satisfield and Colin McDermott also finished in double figures with 16 and 14 points, respectively. The Clippers were led by Ben Jahnz‘s four three pointers and 16 points and teammate Dylan Briere, who finished with 15.

Division II

Juanita Sanchez 67, Chariho 55

Robert Frazier-Robinson led all scorers with 27 points and Tyrelle Paye added 11 as the Cavaliers evened their record at 1-1 on the young season. Sean Westnedge led the Chargers with 21 points and Kian Underhill added 13 in the loss.

▶GIRLS BASKETBALL

Division I/II

South Kingstown 33, Cranston East 21

Makenzie Ribeiro led the Div. I Rebels with 13 points and Abigail O’Rourke added 5 to even SK’s record at 1-1. For the Div. II Thunderbolts (0-3), Ceanaa Tuazon scored a team-high 8 points and Isabella Dupret had 7 in the loss.

Division II

Narragansett 54, Johnston 18

Delaney Bonneau paced the Mariners with 15 points and recorded 6 rebounds and 3 steals in the win. Grace Blessing had 13 points, 8 assists and 9 boards and Brooke Caffrey added 12, as Gansett improved to 3-1. Annabella Gesualdi led the Panthers (1-3) with 9 points in the loss.

Division III

Davies 68, Times2 28

Aniyah Gomes poured in 17 points and teammates Jojo Ali and Deidra Delille scored 14 points apiece as Davies overwhelmed Times 2 in D-III contest. The Patriots’ win spoiled a solid outing by the Eagles’ Hadiya Jennings, who pumped in a game high 21 points in the loss.

▶BOYS HOCKEY

Nonleague

Ponaganset 5, Mount St Charles 5 (Tuesday)

Jake Steinkamp recorded a hat trick as Ponaganset scored twice with two minutes left to knot their nonleague contest with Mounties. Brennan Printer and Cody Sabatos also scored for the Chieftains. In net, Ponaganset goalies AJ Murgida and Rootie Boisvert made 15 saves apiece. (No stats were provided for Mount St. Charles.)

BOYS BASKETBALL

Mount St. Charles at Juanita Sanchez, 6 p.m.

Portsmouth at Hendricken, 6:30 p.m.

Times2 vs. St. Patrick at RI School for the Deaf, 7 p.m.

Coventry at Westerly, 7 p.m.

GIRLS BASKETBALL

Bay View at St. Raphael, 3:45 p.m.

Central at PCD, 4:30 p.m.

Juanita Sanchez vs. Moses Brown at Wheeler School, 5:30 p.m.

Scituate vs. Rogers at the Martin Recreation Center, 5:30 p.m.

Paul Cuffee/St. Patrick at Mount Pleasant, 5:30 p.m.

Shea/Tolman at Classical, 6 p.m.

Westerly at Portsmouth, 6:30m p.m.

Coventry at East Providence, 6:30 p.m.

Achievement First at Burrillville, 6:30 p.m.

Hope at Prout, 6:30 p.m.

Ponaganset at Barrington, 7 p.m.

Cranston West at La Salle, 7 p.m.

South Kingstown at North Kingstown, 7 p.m.

Cumberland at East Greenwich, 7 p.m.

Tiverton at Lincoln, 7 p.m.

Middletown at Exeter-West Greenwich, 7 p.m.

BOYS ICE HOCKEY

Pilgrim vs. Moses Brown at Thayer Arena, 3:45 p.m.

Portsmouth vs. Ponaganset at Levy Arena, 5 p.m.

South Kingstown/Westerly vs. Narragansett/Chariho at Boss Arena, 6:30 p.m.

Coventry/Johnston vs. Cumberland at Lynch Rink, 7 p.m.

Barrington at Burrillville, 7 p.m.

Smithfield vs. Hendricken at Thayer Arena, 7:15 p.m.

West Warwick/Exeter-West Greenwich vs. East Greenwich/Toll Gate at Benny Magiera Rink, 8 p.m.

Rogers Co-op vs. North Kingstown at Boss Arena, 8:15 p.m.

Prout vs. La Salle at Smithfield Rink, 8:30 p.m.

GIRLS ICE HOCKEY

Smith/Cov/MB vs.TG/Pilgrim at Thayer Arena, 5:30 p.m.

East Bay Co-Op at Cranston Co-Op at Cranston Vets, 8:10 p.m.

BOYS SWIMMING

PCD vs. East Greenwich at McDermott Pool, 6 p.m.

GIRLS SWIMMING

Smithfield vs. BVP/CF at MacColl YMCA, 4:30 p.m.

Toll Gate vs. Tolman/Shea/St. Pats at Pawtucket Boys and Girls Club, 5 p.m.

PCD/St. Rays vs. East Greenwich at McDermott Pool, 6 p.m.

Mt. Hope vs. Burrillville at Smithfield YMCA, 6:15 p.m.

BOYS INDOOR TRACK

RIIL Meet at PCTA, 5:30 p.m.

GIRLS INDOOR TRACK

RIIL Meet at PCTA, 5:30 p.m.

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Rhode Island

Fall River, Rhode Island and Ethan Allen: Three Local Clues in One 'Jeopardy!' Episode

Published

18 hours ago

December 19, 2024

Press Room

Fall River, Rhode Island and Ethan Allen: Three Local Clues in One 'Jeopardy!' Episode

Our corner of New England was well-represented on Jeopardy! Wednesday night, as three different clues pertained to Massachusetts and Rhode Island – including one about Fall River’s most infamous resident.

It’s not uncommon for either the Bay State or the Ocean State to be part of a Jeopardy! clue, but it’s hard to remember an episode in which both were featured so prominently as they were on December 18.

In the first round, the category “That’s Weird” had a clue that was definitely an easy one for any person on the SouthCoast.

Host Ken Jennings read, “The Weird U.S. Travel Guide includes such sights as the Fall River, Massachusetts house of this accused murderess,” and an image very similar to this one appeared on the board:

Contestant Ashley had the correct answer: Lizzie Borden.

The Double Jeopardy round had the category “D.C.’s Statuary Hall” with two locally-themed clues.

The $1200 clue was: “Vermont has a statue of him, despite or maybe in part because of the fact he was run out of towns in Massachusetts and Connecticut.”

Ashley guessed wrong on that one, answering “Who is Benedict Arnold?” The correct answer was Ethan Allen. Obviously, Ashley never bought furniture in New England, at least not from an Ethan Allen store. Maybe from an Ashley Furniture store, though.

Rhode Island got in on the fun with the $1600 clue from the same category.

The clue was, “Rhode Island honors Nathanael Greene and this man, which seems the least the state could do, as he founded the original colony.”

Do you know it? Here’s a hint: there is both a zoo and a university named after him.

“Who is Roger Williams?”

A Real SouthCoast Native Would Know the Answers to These Jeopardy Questions

It was always so interesting to hear about episodes where the gameshow participants on Jeopardy answered questions about our little corner of the world. The fact that New Bedford and Fall River have been collectively mentioned approximately 30 times since 1988 is astounding.

We chose a few of our favorite questions and listed them below for our audience to work through. Let’s see how many of these questions you can answer correctly. Tell us how many you got without looking at the answer.

Gallery Credit: Kasey Silvia