By Anita Baffoni, WPRO News
Burrillville power plant opponents are asking the Johnston Town Council to halt tonight’s vote to supply water to the proposed Invenergy power plant.
“With Johnston, we are really concerned because there has been no public meetings or public comment before the vote tonight so we feel at the very least Johnston should delay their vote and have public hearings about the proposed water deal,” Nick Katkevich with the FANG Collective said.
The Woonsocket City Council is also discussing and taking a vote tonight, one of the four communities approached by Invenergy to provide a water supply to the proposed $700 million fossil fuel plant. Two Burrillville communities denied the request, Katkevich said.
The state’s energy siting board suspended the project’s application until there is a primary and backup source of water to move forward.
“They have until Wednesday to prove to the board that they have a source of water so that is why Invenergy is desperate to get a deal done tonight,” Katkevich said.
He added that the toxic emissions that would come from the power plant would negatively impact all of Rhode Island.
Woonsocket has held community meetings to inform residents on the plan and get their input, whereas Johnston has not.
Woonsocket and Invenergy, if approved tonight by the city council, would enter into an agreement and the city would be paid $200,000 per year for 20 years. Invenergy would also pay an additional $500,000 per year that would go into Woonsocket’s general fund for taxpayer relief. Additionally, Invenergy would contribute $200,000 per year for five years to be used for a scholarship fund, according to documents provided by the City of Woonsocket.
On the Clean River Energy Center website— who are heading the Invenergy plant proposal— it says the power plant will help address the 6,000-megawatt shortfall in New England’s regional electric grid.
“The equipment used will be state-of-the-art, making the facility the most efficient and reliable energy center in New England,” the website reads. “The 900-plus megawatt project will be New England’s largest new energy project in decades, helping to stabilize energy prices across the region.”
A call by WPRO to members of the Johnston Town Council and Johnston Mayor Joe Polisena have not yet been returned.
