Burrillville opposes CREC

The Burrillville Town Council’s has taken a strong position against the siting of the Clear River Energy Center on Wallum Lake Road in Burrillville. Is that nimbyism? No! Our concerns for the environment, air quality and the destruction of beautiful woodlands are shared statewide: Thirty-three other communities have formally opposed the siting of CREC here.

The Town did not take this position without giving the project and its impacts serious consideration. For example, we’ve been told that CREC would make our region’s energy costs competitive with other areas of the country. After scrupulous study by the Town’s experts in the field we simply can say that statement is false.

The addition of the CREC power plant is unlikely to change Rhode Island’s ranking of the second highest “retail” electric rates in the country. At best, it will only lower prices by one to two percent, as identified by its own witness at the RI Public Utilities Commission (“PUC”). Secondly, the wholesale price of electricity represents only a portion of the electric bill. The charges for distribution, transmission, and customer service will be unchanged by the CREC. Therefore, this plant is likely to have no material impact on the price of electricity in the state, especially considering it will be sold to entities outside the state and “blended” with numerous other sources of electricity.

Town of Burrillville
105 Harrisville Main Street
Harrisville, RI  02830
401-568-4300
lphaneuf@burrillville.org