Volume I
Chapter 1. Wind Energy Rhode Island Renewable Energy Siting Partnership
1. I
NTRODUCTION
Siting a wind energy project is a careful balancing act involving a careful consideration of both the available wind resource and the potential impacts that the project may pose to the
surrounding area. The RESP provides several tools to enable local decision makers and the public to perform such analyses in a way that responds to their unique preferences and
circumstances. The purpose of this chapter is to provide a summary of the best available science regarding wind resources in Rhode Island and to highlight relevant siting considerations that
municipalities may wish to consider when reviewing or siting a wind energy project. Many of these siting issues were identified in collaboration with the public through the RESP’s extensive
stakeholder engagement process. Chapter 6 of this report describes the greater detail the role of
stakeholder feedback in guiding the RESP process. The purpose of this chapter is not to site wind energy projects in Rhode Island, but to
describe what is known about the wind resources in the state and provide key information that should be taken into account to help others when siting a project or reviewing an application.
Because every potential project site is different, site-specific investigations will be necessary to accurately gauge the impact and economic viability of a particular project.
The focus of this chapter is primarily on wind energy facilities that range in size between 100 kilowatts kW to 1.5 megawatts MW. This size range was selected because it
encompasses both small-scale commercial facilities and municipal-scale projects. These projects are significant because they are the types of projects currently under review or in planning stages
in local communities in Rhode Island. This chapter does not discuss residential-scale wind projects for personal use, which traditionally are less than 100kW. While residential-scale
development may also be of interest in Rhode Island, it is beyond the scope of the RESP project. Nor does this chapter address large-scale commercial wind farms comprised of many wind
turbines, as these are less likely to be proposed in Rhode Island. This chapter begins with a discussion of what is currently known about available wind
resources in Rhode Island based on existing data collected in the state. It then discusses potential effects of wind energy, including safety considerations, shadow flicker, electromagnetic or signal
interference, effects on birds and bats, impacts to cultural or historic resources, visual impacts, and impacts on property values. Lastly, the chapter presents an overview of federal and state
laws and regulations relevant to wind energy, with the purpose of describing the overarching legal context governing wind energy development in the state.
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Volume I
Chapter 1. Wind Energy Rhode Island Renewable Energy Siting Partnership
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