PROVIDENCE —A board of fishermen that advises Rhode Island coastal regulators on offshore wind development has come out in opposition to state certification of the South Fork Wind Farm.
A lawyer for the Fishermen’s Advisory Board said a recommendation by staff at the Coastal Resources Management Council that was agreed to by developers Ørsted and Eversource to reduce the number of turbines in the 132-megawatt project and set up a fishing compensation fund does not meet the concerns of board members.
“It was a backroom deal that happened over the weekend without our participation,” said Marisa Desautel.
Council staff recommended that the package be adopted as a condition of certifying that the wind farm complies with Rhode Island coastal policies. Even though the wind farm would be built in federal waters and the lead permitting authority is the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, the project must get the go-ahead from the Rhode Island coastal council.