Invenergy reaches deal with Narragansett Indian Tribe for water supply

INVENERGY has reached an agree ment with the Narragansett Indian Tribe and Benn Water & Heavy Transport to act as secondary suppliers for its proposed Burrillville powerplant. / COURTESY INVENERGY
INVENERGY has reached an agree ment with the Narragansett Indian Tribe and Benn Water & Heavy Transport to act as secondary suppliers for its proposed Burrillville power plant. / COURTESY INVENERGY

BURRILLVILLE – Invenergy Thermal Development LLC reached deals Thursday with the Narragansett Indian Tribe and Benn Water & Heavy Transport to satisfy the company’s need for a secondary water suppliers for its proposed Clear River Energy Center power plant in Burrillville.

Currently, the Conservation Law Foundation is suing the town of Johnston, saying it has no legal right to purchase water from Providence and resell it to the proposed power plant in Burrillville. Invernegy has an $18 million deal with Johnston to act as Invenergy’s primary water provider for the 9,000-megawatt natural gas-fired power plant. The CLF’s lawsuit is still ongoing. However, Invernergy has argued its contract with Johnston is legitimate.

The Narragansett Tribe will provide water whenever Invenergy requires additional water resources beyond that provided by the primary supplier, Johnston. Benn Water & Heavy Transport will transport that water.

The supplemental suppliers will receive yearly annual payments regardless of whether the power plant uses their water supply. A spokeswoman for Invenergy declined to comment on the terms of the deal. The details of the deal submitted to the Rhode Island Energy Facility Siting Board were redacted.

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The tribal lands that will provide supplemental water are part of the lower Wood River aquifer in the Pawcatuck Watershed. A U.S. geological study found the aquifer capable of yielding 6 million gallons per day. The power plant is estimated to need about 15,000 gallons of water per day.

The R.I. Energy Facility Siting Board has yet to decide whether to permit the proposed power plant in Burrillville.

Chris Bergenheim is the PBN web editor.

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