WPRO News
Chicago-based energy firm Invenergy is promising its proposed power plant in Burrillville will cut down on pollutants and energy costs, while increase state revenues.
Invenergy President and CEO Michael Polsky said Burrillville is a perfect location for their new project.
“The project will use state of the art technology so it will be much more efficient than older gas fired plants; not all gas fire plants are the same,” Polsky.
The $700 million project is estimated to save Rhode Island energy consumers of $280 million over its first several years of operation. 300 jobs will be created during the construction phase, and 25 permanent jobs will be created to run the station; bringing in a total annual payroll of $3.5 million.
Governor Gina Raimondo maintains she is a firm believer in renewable sources of energy, but said that clean natural gas plants are the near-term solution to high energy costs in Rhode Island.
“Energy prices are too high in Rhode Island,” said the Governor “It’s a burden on families [and] it’s a burden on businesses.”
One key factor to helping lower the cost of energy to Rhode Island is to increase the supply of natural gas traveling to the state; Raimondo said she will be working with other governors to help coordinate an increase in supply of natural gas t the New England area.
Not all are in favor of the plan, members of Fighting Against Natural Gas, or FANG, and the community organization Burrillville Against Spectra Expansion rallied outside Tuesday’s event to protest natural gas infrastructure in the state.
Protester Trevor Culchane had only one message for the governor.
“Cancel this project […] it’s going to cost Rhode Islanders in Burrillville and across the state.”
