Two heritage preservation groups in Rhode Island have filed lawsuits against the federal government, claiming it conducted “fake regulatory reviews” when granting permits for two offshore wind farm projects that they say will obstruct ocean views for historic Newport mansions.
Key Facts
The Newport County Historical Society and the Southeast Lighthouse Foundation filed the lawsuits in federal court in Washington, D.C., claiming that the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management approved the projects without considering their impact on the “irreplaceable character and sense of place” of the area.
The lawsuits accuse the government of “shrugging off its responsibilities to the public” by approving the Revolution Wind and South Fork Wind projects, which the complaints say will each erect 100 turbines standing 873 feet tall and 12 turbines standing 840 feet tall, respectively, off the coast of Rhode Island.
The placement of the turbines affects the views from hundreds of historic properties along the coast, according to the complaint, including the Breakers, Marble House, and The Elms, which are managed by the Society and the Southeast Lighthouse on Block Island.
Construction at sea for the South Fork Wind farm has already begun, and Revolution Wind is currently working on routing the onshore transmission cable, according to the Providence newspaper.
The lawsuit asks the judge to order the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management to reconsider its decision to grant the permits, to draft a new environmental impact statement, and to declare the government’s failure to “minimize harm” to historic properties when granting approvals.
A representative for the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management stated that the agency does not comment on ongoing litigation.
Interview
Several offshore wind advocacy groups signed a letter on Monday in response to the lawsuit, asserting that the environmental benefits of clean wind energy outweigh the visual impact, according to the Providence newspaper. Groups like the Green Energy Consumers Alliance and the Rhode Island Climate Change Coalition accused the plaintiffs of exercising “energy privilege” by valuing views “at the expense of the civilizational threat our region and the world faces from the climate crisis.”
Background
The lawsuit in Newport is far from the first lawsuit aimed at halting the construction of wind farms off the coasts of New England and the Mid-Atlantic region. Nantucket residents sued the federal government last year after it permitted the construction of the nation’s first commercial wind farm off the Massachusetts coast, claiming its construction would increase harm to the already threatened North Atlantic right whale population. The lawsuit was dismissed in May, but the ACK For Whales group filed an appeal in September. The Vineyard Wind project completed its first turbine in the fall and construction is progressing despite ongoing lawsuits. A lawsuit by a group of Long Island residents was dismissed in July after they challenged the construction of the South Fork Wind farm on the grounds that it would increase levels of “forever chemicals” in groundwater. Three community groups in New Jersey sued the state in June over approvals for its first planned wind farm, called Ocean Wind I, claiming the project violates state coastal management rules.
Additional Details
The “famous Newport mansions” refer to a collection of homes built by prominent American families during the Gilded Age in the late 19th century. Notable among these are the Breakers and Marble House, constructed by members of the Vanderbilt family; The Elms, built by coal magnate Edward Julius Berwind; and Rosecliff, which was owned by silver heiress Theresa Fair Oelrichs. These homes, along with several others, were donated to the Newport County Historical Society and are open to the public for tours. Many of them are listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and the society estimates that the mansions attract about a million visitors to the area each year.
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From Reading
Providence Journal: Will offshore wind turbines spoil the ocean views from Newport mansions? This lawsuit thinks so.
Forbes UK Energy Advisor: How do they work and can they power my home?
Forbes: Construction begins on the first large wind farm in the United States off the coast of Massachusetts, with more on the way.
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