When/how did the Senate committee turn it into a study commission?
Isn't the Senate Committee meeting on it today?

The EBEC Treasurer, Phil Hervey (Barrington Town Planner) wants a chance to show us how Barrington can make $200,000 a year in profits on this project.

Okay, Mr. Hervey.... here's your chance....show us your numbers.
We would love to see your numbers.
Will you show us $200,000 a year ROI for each of 9 communities?

Also, please forgive us for asking for a little credit where credit is due, but the public here in the East Bay have been working tirelessly (including Memorial Day weekend Saturday at 9 am in Warren) to get the word out about the problems with this proposed project & with the proposed legislation.

The good people of the East Bay have shown that they can work together and make an impact.

But this is not over yet. We must follow through on today's meetings, watch the proposed bills & the study commission's activity and see this through to the end. Watch the lawyers and the lobbyists. See if there are new lawyers. New lobbyists.

And we also need "green" projects that make sense. "Green" projects by private companies that create jobs & retrofit existing buildings for photovoltaics.

Big oil isn't going to do it for us.
And neither is big government.

“Give us a chance,” Hervey said. “Just give us a chance.”

Isn't that what Curt Schilling was saying...

And we know what happened with the "chance" RI took on 38Studios.

Government shouldn’t be wasting our tax dollars taking “chances” on risky ventures, that only benefit lawyers, lobbyists, and “consultants”.

EBEC has given $64,000 to the Moses law firm through March. And, expect more invoices for all the time Mr. Moses spent on his big lobby push over the last few months.

Mr. Hervey, perhaps you should explain what we have to show for all that money paid to Mr. Moses? After all, you are the "Treasurer" of EBEC.

With all due respect to Barrington Town Planner Phil Hervey, he is using numbers that have little credibility. Mr Hervey's reference point is an EBEC Phase II study found at:

http://www.bristolri.us/documents/community/EBEC_Phase_II_Final_Report.pdf

The numbers in the Phase II study are not "money in the bank". Consider:

1) The assumed interest rate on EBEC loans is set at 4.5% based largely on an assumption that "Capital to fund the total installation cost in the EBEC owned options is expected to be raised through municipal bonding or other tax-free debt. (page 56). We are now told that financing will be "revenue bonds" and therefore the 4.5% is EBEC fiction.

2) The assumed net metering rates used for the life of the project have not been confirmed through an agreement with National Grid. "Despite detailed research and numerous conversations with National Grid, significant uncertainty remains as to the specific net metering terms, conditions and prices available to this project." (page 56).

3) The total wind energy is based on analysis that is not site specific.

4) The financial sensitivity analysis was tested against isolated assumptions rather than a more reliable combinatorial approach (testing sensitivity to multiple changes occurring at the same time). A more reliable analysis against assumptions in (1), (2) and (3) above show Mr Hervey's claims of profit to the towns as completely unreliable.

“This is the stuff … you just can’t make up,” said Ed Mazze, a business professor at the University of Rhode Island.

If the business case of a windfarm is a winner, volunteer organizations have the upside of independently investing in a high return, equity investment. That's absent asking for RI underwriting of incurred liabilities. Over our lifetimes, many of us have had to pledge their homes so that banks would lend to us to expand our businesses. Let's let good money from the idea conceivers precede any good faith expectations of the citizenry. J. Harker

Lets see how well the brand new still-unmoving turbines in Prov do in a far windier spot before we even entertain any investment on this project. And "here here" for the private investment angle vs putting public money on the betting line! Am all for entrepreneurial spirit, but RI has had an overdose of poor gambles with public funds on speculative industries lately.

Someone sent me a great link from the Hummel Report on the Providence wind turbines. It's worth watching.

The report points out that because this project serves the on-site needs of the Narragansett Bay Commission for waste water treatment, it is cost effective. They will be turned on this summer.

http://www.hummelreport.com/5.10.2012.tale.html

all the usual suspects...garymm; Donut; marina peterson; Bristol County Anonymous... This project will not fade lightly into the past, because the EDC and EBEC are still sitting on a lot of positive wind data, valuable wind data... Sure it will take longer to educate the community, but by and large, the consensus remains that this is a good investment, and issues found at the state house will be ironed out... Boondoggle Mr. Rupp??? For who?? Obstructionist who side on lies and hyperbole?? EBEC is still on the table, and EBEC is still good science. The only ones' who lose are the 9 cities who have lost a viable revenue stream at the face of deceitful and horribly unqualified antagonists from the shouting gallery...

I was happy to see that Bristol Town Council voted to withdraw their support for the EBEC bill 5-0. Exactly who is left that is supporting this "boondoggle"?

The $64,000 question...

Who will get stuck with EBEC's lawyer / lobbyist bills?

Who authorized that effort? Who approved the payments?

What is the benefit to the public, and how do the lawyer / lobbying payments reconcile to the approved EDC funding project plan?

Perhaps EBEC "Treasurer", Mr. Hervey can answer.

Hi Anna – as we all know, many questions/issues get raised in this forum. Folks ask questions, and folks answer or speculate about the answers, and there are lots of opinions & different viewpoints.

It’s kind of like what people did around the dinner table years ago…back when it was okay to chew the fat…. and the salt… and the sweets… and there was time at a dinner table.
;-)

And maybe some still do this kind of thing in the coffee shops…

If you think that someone is ill-informed, feel free to jump in and provide your information.

The more the merrier.

As to this proposed wind turbine project, of course we want to understand the impact to the taxpayers.

As you say, Mr. Hervey is the Treasurer of the EBEC.

Do you agree that a treasurer has fiduciary duties and that these duties remain with the treasurer even if experts are hired to do financial modeling or other work (legal, lobbying, etc.)?

As you say, some of those on the EBEC may be volunteers, but isn’t Mr. Hervey paid to be the Barrington Town Planner?

Thank you for providing information.

Anna,

I was actually hoping to elevate your posts to a discussion on facts (see above exchange with "Anna".

Instead you refuse and hold fast to name calling, so I can only assume that as usual, the supporters of this initiative had only one goal in mind, another project on the taxpayer dole.

In good financial times, a little experimenting is not all bad. We've been doing that for centuries. But in case you haven't noticed, RI is now at the bottom of virtually every measure of financial soundness, and a pariah in the business sector (aka jobs).

We need to fix that image, and fast. Taxpayer supported boondoggles are things that must be scrapped.

Anna says that "none of the EBEC volunteers gets paid".

That's an interesting statement.

In fairness to Anna, maybe what she's trying to tell us is that the volunteers don't get paid.

Is that what you mean, Anna?

Anna, are you saying that if a person leaves the EBEC, he should not be allowed to go to work for a company that may or may not want to compete with the EBEC?

For unlimited time, unlimited geographical location, and as to any and all activities?

Or...what?

How would you define the scope of the non-compete clause that you seem to advocate?

What's the consideration?

Does the EBEC actually have those "volunteers" (the ones you speak of) sign such non-compete agreements, or are you making this stuff up as you go along?

You don’t seem to understand that the EBEC Treasurer has fiduciary duties
yet you think that a former EBEC volunteer should refrain from working for another company?

Or, maybe you think such non-compete clauses are assumed?

As in you “don’t spit into the wind”, “you don’t tug on Superman’s cape”, that kind of thing?

The EBEC has paid lobbyists pushing the GA to approve the EBEC legislation.
What’s the parity for the relationship with them? Attorney ethics alone, maybe?
(That one always gets a chuckle.)

Maybe it’s even broader …

Do you expect that the EBEC should expect that no other company should even attempt to compete with the EBEC?

That may be the RI way but it’s not the American way.

Come on, Anna….
educate us.

Anna,

You must have inside information that nobody else has. As to your recent post above, you imply that there is "new wind data". Could you be more specific?

How much were they wrong by in the Phase II study (i.e. the study assumed 41,250,000 kWh annual wind power)? Wrong by 10%, 20% 30%?

And if they were that far off on the annual wind power, how can we be assured the cost of installation, the annual operations & maint, the rate of interest, etc, etc. is reliable.

What you are saying would be rejected in the private sector as being little more than a guess. You may also want to compare the recent readings in Portsmouth that show wind readings as being historically low at the moment. (see the May Portsmouth Town Council meeting discussion on recent wind readings).

And finally, a contrived net metering rate is little more than a stealth tax. When you can make the numbers work without rigging electric rates, then you may have a credible business case.

Until then, this is little more than a taxpayer supported boondoggle.

Anna,

I just visited the EBEC website and nothing is posted on your breaking news story about "new wind data".

This should be the greatest news release in the history of the EBEC, yet it is not on their website, or in any Patch or East Bay Times website story, or most important, not an agenda item in tomorrow's EBEC meeting in Bristol at 8:30 am.

Could you site your source for your so called breaking story?

There is a brand new proposed 2870 Sub A to be unveiled, probably Monday.

http://www.rilin.state.ri.us/SenPropBills/S2870A.pdf

Your thoughts? marina

Desperate for revenue I'd say!! Have the towns "pool their resources" is code for let's get this from the taxpayers. The language forbidding it to issue bonds and then recognizing it would have notes or obligations is ambiguous. We can only hope that this is held for study until there is more information, such as a complete accounting of what has been spent so far and an explanation of the many "fuzzy" parts of this bill.

From house roll call votes section, this vote is significant as you can clearly see who is still in favor of saving the RIEDC.
BUDGET - NEW ARTICLE - TO ABOLISH RIEDC AND TRANSFER CONTROL TO LT.GOV’s OFFICE. BY LIMA

Yeas: Baldelli-Hunt, Brien, Chippendale, Costa, DaSilva, Dickinson, Ehrhardt, Gordon, Guthrie, Hull, Jacquard, Johnston, Lima, MacBeth, Malik, McLaughlin, Menard, Messier, Newberry, Nunes, Phillips, Reilly, Savage, Schadone, Tanzi, Trillo, Walsh, Watson. 28

Nays: The Honorable Speaker Fox and Representatives Ajello, Azzinaro, Bennett, Blazejewski, Carnevale, Cimini, Coderre, Corvese, Diaz, Edwards, Fellela, Ferri, Gallison, Handy, Hearn, Jackson, Keable, Kennedy, Lally, Marcello, Martin, Mattiello, McNamara, Medina, Morgan, Morrison, Naughton, O'Grady, O'Neill, Petrarca, Ruggiero, San Bento, Serpa, Silva, Slater, Tarro, Tomasso, Ucci, Valencia, Williams,Winfield.42

NV: Desimone, Flaherty, McCauley, Melo, Palumbo

This new and improved Sub A is scheduled for consideration (a vote) at 5:30 pm Monday evening, June 11th in the Senate committee. Please try to attend. Tiverton is also meeting tomorrow night at &:00pm. Agenda is at http://sos.ri.gov/documents/publicinfo/omdocs/notices/4672/2012/126672.pdf

And, of course, EBEC will be meeting at the Old State House in Bristol tomorrow morning at 8:30am.

If anyone goes to any of these meetings could you please touch base with me after the meeting? Thanks..

Part 1

Just a scan of the new Bill with opinion naturally

rev•e•nue
noun, often attributive \ˈre-və-ˌnü, -ˌnyü\
Definition; of REVENUE
1
: the total income produced by a given source <a property expected to yield a large annual revenue>
2
: the gross income returned by an investment

Isnt this the same as profit

Definition; of notes payable
The amount of principal due on a formal written promise to pay. Loans from banks are included in this account.

Isnt this the same as profit

“The members shall receive no compensation for the performance of their duties but each
member may be reimbursed for his or her reasonable expenses incurred in carrying out
their duties”.

Ahh $500,000 already in debt and they have not been formed? Really. Yea a lawyers dream wouldn’t you say.

“(1) will be deemed to be a public corporation,
instrumentality, and agency of the state of Rhode Island acting for the benefit of the
participating municipalities.”

So if you are Participating you are not also liable for anything, just how does that work?

title 7 entitled Rhode Island Nonprofit Corporation Act, provided, however that the
corporation shall not have the power to issue bonds.

Part 2

“(f) The notes or other obligations issued by the corporation created pursuant to the
provisions of this section will not be deemed to constitute a debt or liability or obligation
of the state of Rhode Island or of any political subdivision of the state or of any
municipality of the state but will be payable solely from the revenues or assets of the
corporation.”

What is the difference between liability Notes, versus Bonds, sounds the same to me. They get money from somewhere, but no pay back? How does that one work, inquiring investors want to know.

“The by-laws of the corporation shall contain a provision allowing a participating
Municipality to withdraw from the corporation.”

Let me get this Straight, if it goes belly up the “municipality”, just withdraws and is not liable for any debt? I mean really, how come big business has not found this loophole, could be because it is BS.

“pooling of administrative expenses associated with the same, among cities and towns”.

Lets see now, they have blown $500,000 dollars already from the EDC, on the backs of all State taxpayers, do the towns now pick up that debt also, or does it come out of the Chairman Napolitano and the other geniuses that thought all this up?

Are we really expected to believe that this is some kind of new magic money that appears from nowhere and no-one is liable for it, Sounds like the State plans on getting into the counterfeit money business?

Part 3

How come the language gets less and less, each time this Bill is redone, making it more and more ambiguous, and confusing to the point, that it seems the rest of it, is left in the backroom somewhere waiting for the right time, specifically 1 minute before midnight, on the night the legislature adjourns, Just asking.

One wonders yet again, what the reasoning is to rush this through, when studies of the wind have not even been completed according to the EBEC web site.

Could it be the, because of the Studio 38 fiasco, the EDC is not going to give them anymore money to waste on lawyers and lobbyist to push this thing?

Perhaps the backroom deals with towns, are drying up! How come the Chairman’s own City does not even supporting them, Nor the Town of Bristol which was the original author of forming this, shamefully, according to them unaware it was looking to become a Utility! Which I now doubt.

Why is it that, 98% 717 post on this, are against, with factual information, and yet the 2% have yet to answer the 98%'s question or yet to show anything that is viable, or where the $500,000 dollars of tax money so far has gone. Why do they always bring up the Windmills instead of the real issue, the damn Bill.

Why all the secrecy and private meetings?

Where were the Public Meetings by the EBEC?

Why were they spending our tax money, wining and dining, to include using RWU facilities who they State were instrumental in helping them form.

The constant pat on the back at these functions, that the public new nothing about is astounding and a great example of the arrogance and elitism. Not sorry, but the public is sick and tired of your kind of people with holier than thou attitude that think raping the taxpayer is just a common thing, because it is how it has always been done.

Quote from OSTPA: "Aside from the absolute resolve to get something passed, which this version makes clear, I have but one objection: section (f) ...so who's on the hook if the net earnings are not sufficient to pay the bonds? It seems that the obvious answer is the towns and so what steps will be taken to make the community members aware of that potential liability?"

Are these legislators, lying to the people? Of course they are IMHO. When you say you are putting it off until January, "THAT MEANS YOUR PUTTING IT OF TILL JANUARY" Not re-writing it, making it more spooky and full of ambiguous text. Bringing it up time and time again.

The main goal of this Bill Has not changed one iota. The point is we do not need a bunch of appointee's screwing us over again like Studio 38 has, the BCWA has, the PUC on supporting this and others.

The legislators need some backbone and quit being cowards in this, and open their mouths to the public and say, enough is enough, these legislators supporting this are lower than whale poop. They have no consideration for the taxpayers and are only trying to do this to you, with out even a kiss. SPEAK UP!!

Get some gonads and integrity, shout to the media, papers, television, blogs etc. Where are you legislatures? You were elected to represent us, not appointed ignorant elitist on this EBEC, who have no respect for the peoples demands, or for themselves that they keep pushing something that is abhorrent and totally against American values and true integrity of which they have none.

Resign from any position, elected office you are in. You are the problem and would not know a solution if it fell in to your lap. Even though you are being lap dogs. There is some nefarious Agenda behind the scenes, or corruption. That makes you unintelligent also. Perception is reality in this obviously.

Marina:
Which politicians are still pushing this in the GA with new proposed Substitues?
And why?

This project will be subsidized by above market energy costs for all in RI if the project is successful. It is this subsidy from the rest of the rate payers in the state that enables the 9 communities ( and the developer, and the lawyers and the financial institutions) to profit from the deal. EBEC sells the power for about 13 cents that National Grid can buy for less than 7 cents. Ratepayers pay the difference. It is just a transfer of wealth. Ratepayers in communities such as Pawtucket, Central Falls, Woonsocket, etc. who have no favorable wind sites will not be able to benefit from such an arrangement. But they will have to subsidize these projects through increased electric rates.
If you don't agree with this... contact your State Senators! Here's the link
http://www.rilin.state.ri.us/Email/SenEmailListDistrict.asp

Phil Hervey's actions need an investigation by the Town Council.

In October of 2011, The EBEC Board took a vote to allow just two members of the EBEC Board, the Chairwoman, and the Treasurer (Mr Hervey) to approve all spending. This was not just for "not to exceed" amounts, but for any amount of money.

Following that vote, very large sums began to go out the door for lawyers and lobbyists along with an unusual $7000 payment for "compost".

The town councils never approved such sweeping powers.

Alene Violet just wrote an excellent editorial on why the EBEC was a taxpayer powder keg about that almost went off.

http://www.valleybreeze.com/2012/06/19/north-providence/past-mistakes-still-haunt-us

The RI Senate had approved this project, but the House didn't. Taxpayers and electricity users dodged a bullet.

Taxpayers now need an explanation of how this project morphed into what might have been another EDC boondoggle.

EBEC needs to be dissolved.

And, yes an investigation is needed.

EBEC’s strategy of avoiding transparency by not having the Board approve invoices at public meetings is improper and shameful.

It seems that EBEC did not want the public to see those big lawyer / lobbyist fees.

Instead, EBEC's strategy was to only show the public all that unsupported selective propaganda baloney.

I believe there to be 21 quasi-government boondoggles in this State that need to be investigated and forensically audited, for everything they have done for at the minimum last 20 years. This is a problem nation wide. We are a small State and it would probably be amazing eye opener to the fraud, waste abuse, inefficiency, backroom deals with politicians and lobbyist. I suspect it would also, if used to gauge the corruption and waste nation wide it would come in some where in the 100’s of Billions of dollars statistically.

This State has always been, at least in my lifetime a perfect example of Big Government gone wild, from Local to the State. Our property taxes and dismal Education and social programs have never been efficient or successful to a reasonable percentage. How we can have so many of the highest paid State workers, with some of the best benefit packages is despicable. For State population less than 1 million that can only work with driving the taxpayers and businesses into bankruptcy.

Won’t even go into how this State has driven Business from ever coming or staying here. Greece has proven that this State needs to diversify its business portfolio from so much of the tourist industry to real industry with high paying jobs, or the State will be as broke as Greece is today from a majority industry of tourism and over loaded government employees and benefits to the people. Individual self responsibility is the key, with government minding its own business.