PORTSMOUTH — The Portsmouth Town Council will hold a public hearing at 7 pm. on Monday, Dec. 9, 2024, on SouthCoast Wind’s request for a sound variance.

Because a larger-than-average crowd is expected, the meeting will be held in the Portsmouth Middle School Auditorium, 125 Jepson Lane.

The full public notice of the meeting can be read in its entirety here.

SouthCoast Wind Energy, LLC, 3 Center Plaza, Boston, seeks “an advisory opinion from the council to the Rhode Island Energy Facility Siting Board (EFSB) providing that the applicant is entitled to a variance to the sound limits set forth in the Codification of Ordinances Chapter 257: NOISE, for limited construction period of the portion of the SouthCoast Wind 1 Project (EFSB Docket SB 2022-02-SouthCoast Wind Energy LLC), which will be sited in Portsmouth,” according to the application.

The Portsmouth portion of the project consists of utilizing horizontal directional drilling (HDD) technology to install approximately two miles of underground transmission cables beneath mostly state and town roadways. 

The cables will make landfall in the vicinity of Boyds Lane/Park Avenue, travel beneath Boyds Lane to the intersection with Anthony Road, travel beneath Anthony Road to the northeast, and exit Portsmouth at Montaup Country Club, with a backup location near the Roger Williams University parking lot off of Boyds Lane. 

The project will interconnect renewable energy generated by the offshore wind farm to the regional transmission system at Brayton Point in Somerset. The Portsmouth portion of the project, which consists solely of underground transmission lines, will not include the installation of any above-ground facilities or produce any additional noise after the project is complete, according to the application.

While the majority of the construction activities will occur during the hours of 7 a.m. and 9 p.m., during which construction activities are exempt from the noise ordinance limits, the applicant is requesting a sound variance under Section 257-18 of the noise ordinance for any occasional after-hours work which might be necessary in connection with construction of the portion of its project to be sited in Portsmouth. 

Anyone wishing to speak should plan to attend and voice their concerns.

The public is welcome to any meeting of the town’s boards or its committees. If communication assistance (readers/interpreters/captions) is needed or any other accommodation to ensure equal participation, contact the Town Clerk’s Office at 683-2101 at least three days prior to the meeting.