In 1990 Ocean State Power went online in Burrillville (occupied Nipmuc territory) despite widespread opposition from residents. The power plant, one of the oldest in the state, emits toxins and noise pollution on to our community, leads to more fracking in the shale fields of Pennsylvania and West Virginia, and contributes to global climate change.

We are calling for Ocean State Power to be phased out and shut down by 2023 at the latest. It is essential that the plant be closed using just transition principles. This includes making sure that the economic impacts to the plant’s workers and their families, along with the loss of tax revenue for Burrillville, are minimized, and the land on which the plant is located is healed and restored. In order to accomplish this, we believe there needs to be a collaborative, open process between the workers at the plant, residents, local tribes, and the town government.

With the State of Rhode Island calling for the use of 100% renewable energy by 2030, the era of fossil fuel power plants is coming to an end. We have an opportunity to close down Ocean State Power in a way that is healing, builds trust within our community, and mitigates the economic impacts of the plant's closure. Right here in Burrillville we can create a framework for a just transition away from fossil fuels that can be used across Rhode Island.

There are many examples from around the world where just transition policies have been enacted to support communities as they break away from their dependence on the fossil fuel industry. Tonawanda, New York is a small town that was dealing with the imminent closing of a coal plant that provided millions in local taxes. A coalition of community groups was able to convince the state to create a “gap fund” that offered up to seven years of funding to Tonawanda and other towns facing the closure of fossil fuel facilities.

Similar programs can be enacted in Rhode Island. Above all else, LS Power, the current owner of Ocean State Power, must be held accountable for the environmental harm they have caused in our community by funding a large portion of this just transition process.

The Town of Burrillville must immediately pause the tax treaty negotiations with LS Power. As you know, the current tax treaty with LS Power expires this month. The tax treaty, which stabilizes property taxes for the plant, is a key piece of leverage that the town has over the plant. Any new tax treaty with LS Power must include a timeline for the plant to close by 2023 at the latest as well as funds from LS Power to support the just transition process.

Burrillville is the epicenter of fossil fuel infrastructure in Rhode Island. All fracked-gas that comes into the state comes through Burrillville via the Tennessee Gas Pipeline and the Enbridge Gas Pipeline. Both of these pipelines have toxic compressor stations in Burrillville.

Burrillville is also an epicenter of resistance as over the past thirty years residents have continuously organized against the expansion of fossil fuel projects. This includes an effort to stop the construction of the Tennessee Gas Pipeline compressor station, the hard-fought campaign that ultimately stopped one of two expansions to Enbridge’s compressor station, and the historic movement that stopped Invenergy’s proposed power plant.

Now that the expansion of new fossil fuel projects in the town has finally been halted, the time has come to begin truly transitioning Burrillville away from fossil fuel infrastructure once and for all. We hope that you join us on this mission, starting with using a just transition framework to phase out and shut down Ocean State Power in a way that protects and heals our community.