BURRILLVILLE – In what’s become a bitter and expensive fight over a proposed gas-fired power plant in Burrillville, the town is tapping into money it received from the power-plant owners to fund its opposition efforts.
Indeed, the town last year signed a tax stabilization agreement with Invenergy Thermal Development LLC, a Chicago-based energy company that is trying to build the 1,000-megawatt power plant called Clean River Energy Center.
So far, the town has received about $1.2 million through that agreement, which it says is going toward a dedicated fund to fight the very same company.
“We knew we would never be able to battle this power plant without additional funding and we also knew despite our best efforts, the power plant could still be forced on us,” said John Pacheco, president of the Town Council. “The tax agreement was to protect the interests of the town, and since it provides the upfront money with no strings attached, we are using the money to oppose the plant.”
The town estimates the fight against Invenergy will cost more than $1 million, as Burrillville is paying for legal services both at the R.I. Energy Facility Siting Board – the regulatory body that decides whether to approve the power plant – and in court. The town has filed a lawsuit against the company and its proposed sourcing of water.
Pacheco also criticized the newly formed coalition called Rhode Islanders for Affordable Energy, which was created to advocate for the power plant. The council president called it a “political and public propaganda campaign designed to win EFSB approval.
“We urge people to carefully look at the statements and advertisements from the group,” he said. “Keep in mind these are Invenergy’s alternative facts and ongoing propaganda just under a different name.”
Doug Gablinske, executive director of the trade group TEC-RI, is a member of the coalition. He told Providence Business News recently the coalition was formed to fight for a mix of energy types to keep electricity cheap in Rhode Island.
“We think building the Clean River Energy Center in Burrillville is a first step to addressing our high-energy costs and filling that shortage,” he said.
The EFSB has not yet set a schedule for when it will decide on the power plant.
Eli Sherman is a PBN staff writer. Email him at Sherman@PBN.com, or follow him on Twitter @Eli_Sherman.
Town Council President Pacheco is correct in charging Doug Gablinske with false claims about an alleged looming energy shortage in Rhode Island and New England. As PBN reported in January, the regional system operator, ISO New England, secured a surplus of generating capacity for the generating year 2020-21. Invenergy attempted to sell 485 megawatts in that auction, but ISO did not buy. Nor did ISO buy a single megawatt from new gas-fired generator. Mr. Gablinske’s generating capacity shortage is fiction.