The Rhode Island Coastal Resources Management Council (CRMC) approved a key permit allowing SouthCoast Wind to lay transmission cables in Rhode Island state waters, over the objections of the fishing industry advisory panel, which voted against a $1 million compensation package offered by the developer. The permit approval represents a small but significant step forward for the long-stalled SouthCoast Wind project, which has faced repeated delays due to federal regulatory uncertainty and broader challenges facing the offshore wind industry. The project, being developed by Ocean Winds (a joint venture of EDP Renewables and ENGIE), would deliver power to Massachusetts but requires cable landings in Rhode Island. The CRMC’s fishing industry panel raised concerns about the adequacy of the compensation package and the potential impacts of cable installation and operation on commercial fishing activities in the area. The approval highlights the ongoing tension between offshore wind infrastructure development and commercial fishing interests, as well as the challenges of designing compensation mechanisms that adequately address fishing community concerns. More information can be found here.
