Page 46: of Marine Technology Magazine (March 2013)

Discovering Rhode Island Offshore Wind to be the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management?s designated range for large wind farms. Even better, wind farm developers and their backers aren?t just wading through regulatory marshes. They are closely ex- amining the region?s harbors and ports, looking for proximity to projects, access to water and space availability. Ports with channels deep enough to accommodate the huge vessels need- ed by the industry, and sizeable staging areas for assembling components, are going to be critical to the construction and maintenance of these farms, and both states are determined to win the lion?s share of that lucrative business. Tiny R.I. has already taken some giant steps toward that goal, compared to other states. ?Rhode Island has really stepped out in advance of many other states and done some very innova- tive things to help the industry move forward,? said USOWC?s Courtney. ?Rhode Island is very well positioned to be a winner, than any other state,? said energy analyst Steven Kopits, managing director of Douglas-Westwood in New York. The CRMC in particular draws special praise for developing the Rhode Island Ocean Special Area management (SAMP) plan, a spatial marine mapping of a de ned area of the ocean  oor off the Rhode Island coast. (See RI SAMP). The SAMP provides regulatory standards for offshore development and was used to designate siting areas for wind farming in both state and federal waters. President Obama?s Ocean Policy Task Force called it a national model for marine spatial plan- ning. If you build it, they will come In New England, where the battle to be  rst in the water has now extended from the wind farm proposals out to the ports, yet another ace in Rhode Island?s pocket is The Port of Davis- ville at Quonset Business Park in North Kingstown. One of the largest ports in the northeast with 3,200 acres, it is also the seventh largest importer of autos in the country and home to 168 companies that employ almost 9,000 people. Longtime, key tenants include Electric Boat Corp. and Senesco Marine. Located near the mouth of Narragansett Bay, the port features four berths and  ve terminals with over 58 acres of laydown and terminal storage.?To have that much property on the waterfront with a com- bination of rail connects, airstrip and deep water access at one facility ? I think it is a fantastic asset,? said Jim Dodez, Vice President of Marketing and Strategic Planning, KVH Indus- tries, Inc. in Middletown, R.I. Steven King, managing director of the port, believes wind farm activity could muscle its way into the number two or three spot in the port?s business lineup once the market takes off, some three years or so down the road. To get ready, Quon- set has made $30 million in infrastructure improvements, in- cluding a $7.5 million dredging project, the purchase of a $4 million Gottwald 7608 Mobile Harbor ?super? Crane that can lift up to 140 metric tons and stands approximately 126 feet high, structural improvements to Pier 2 to support the crane and the addition of lighting and new fendering to Pier 1, King said.Hot on Quonset?s heels, though, is a $100 million project to build South Terminal in in the economically depressed  sh-ing and shipping port of New Bedford, Mass. The project will ?purpose build? a multi-use terminal to serve foremost as a base of operations for the assembly, staging and transport base of offshore energy-related projects. Cape Wind has commit- ted to working out of the new terminal. Rhode Island is betting that Davisville is ideally suited and situated to serve as the preferred base port for primary staging and maintenance for a collection of regional wind farms, and it?s not alone in that assessment. Although they believe there will work enough to go around eventually, right now, industry observers say there is no doubt that Davisville is the most at- tractive option. ?From an economic development point of view, Quonset, by any metrics is an ideal port from which to support offshore wind development,? said Malcolm Spaulding, co-founder of ?Rhode Island is very well positioned to be a winner, than any other state? Energy analyst Steven Kopits, MD of Douglas-Westwood in New York 46 MTRMarch 2013 MTR #2 (34-49).indd 46MTR #2 (34-49).indd 463/6/2013 1:23:17 PM3/6/2013 1:23:17 PM