Middletown residents ask council to sponsor public forum on offshore wind and cable landing plans

Several Middletown residents asked the Town Council to sponsor a public forum on offshore wind development and associated cable landings, saying residents need neutral expert briefings and an opportunity for public input.

Speakers at the council’s public forum segment included Karen McGovern, Sandra Craig and Karen Gleason. Each urged the council to host an information session that would present unbiased technical views on offshore turbines, transmission cables and potential impacts on marine ecosystems, tourism and coastal infrastructure.

‘‘I’m asking the town council to take up the issue of offshore wind in a manner where all interested parties are educated and have an opportunity to express their opinions,’’ said Karen McGovern, who identified herself as a retired biologist. McGovern asked the council not to adopt a formal position before holding public education sessions and noted that the SouthCoast Wind project raises separate questions about turbines offshore and the proposed cable route up the Sekonic River.

Sandra Craig, a property owner on Indian Avenue, told the council she opposed SouthCoast Wind after reviewing public materials and the town attorney’s January 2025 memo. Craig raised specific concerns about habitat impacts and dredging associated with the Sekonic River cable route and cited the example of a large turbine blade that washed ashore following a turbine failure in the region.

Karen Gleason, who attended the recent planning board meeting on the topic, urged the council to sponsor a panel that would include technical experts to address questions such as project timelines, effects on electricity bills, marine impacts, and electromagnetic fields from underwater cables.

Why it matters: The SouthCoast Wind proposal includes hundreds of turbines on the outer continental shelf and a high‑voltage cable route that would make landfall in the region. Residents and local officials said the issue touches fisheries, beach uses, infrastructure, and local permitting and asked the council to ensure public education and transparent discussion before the town adopts a formal stance.

What residents asked: Commenters asked the council to (1) delay adopting any formal position until the public is heard, (2) host neutral expert briefings that include experience from existing U.S. projects such as the Block Island Wind Farm, and (3) separately evaluate turbine siting in federal waters and onshore cable landing options, including alternatives to the Sekonic River landing.

Council response: The speakers recommended that the council coordinate an island‑wide forum that could include neighboring towns. The transcript shows no formal council vote on a position; the item was raised during the public comment portion of the meeting and will require separate council action to sponsor an event or adopt a position.