Navy Abandons Plans for Turbines at Naval Station Newport

The U.S. Navy announced last week that a plan to erect wind turbines at Naval Station Newport and on Navy land in Portsmouth, Newport and Middletown is no longer on the table.

Instead, solar panels might be installed on rooftops and on brownfield sites to produce at least 10 megawatts of power as part of the Navy’s goal to generate 1 gigawatt of renewable energy by the end of 2015.

The Naval Facilities Engineering Command announced that feasibility studies beginning in 2008 ”do not support pursuing large-scale wind energy at Newport at this time for a combination of reasons, including technological, historical and community concerns.”

The study identified six sites across Aquidneck Island that were suitable for turbines to produce about 9 megawatts of electricity to serve Naval Station Newport, the island’ s biggest energy consumer.

But the plans faced strong opposition from locals including members of the Preservation Society of Newport County and the state Historical Preservation and Heritage Commission since the towering structures would be within eyeshot of landmarks, like the Newport Mansions and Cliff Walk.

In August, the Navy announced that the National Renewable Energy Laboratory has been studying solar power as an alternative to wind power.

If completed, the solar project ”will allow for the production of large-scale renewable energy resources on previously under-utilized land” and “will be developed without added cost to taxpayers by leveraging third-party finance,” last week’s Navy release stated.

A Naval Station Newport spokeswoman told the Providence Journal that no single reason killed the turbine plan, suggesting a combination of engineering hurdles and public opposition played a role.