After more than a year and a half of courting town officials and residents, Competitive Power Ventures decided this morning to withdraw its power plant proposal due to what is says was fierce and unprecedented local opposition.
Competitive Power Vice President Braith Kelly, whose company hoped to site a 580 megawatt power plant on Industrial Road, said he had ``long and detailed discussions'' with Selectman Al Denapoli and state Sen. James Timilty, D-Walpole, at Competitive Power attorney Jim Brady's Walpole office.
Kelly said he and the Walpole officials ``came to the consensus'' that it was time for the company to withdraw its plans.
``We have always said from the onset of any project that we want to work with communities,'' said Kelly.
Timilty said he respected Competitive Power's decision to pull out of town of its own accord.
``They're a good company,'' he said, explaining they stuck to their word of not pursuing a plant in Walpole if they didn't have residential support. ``I never thought they were evil or underhanded.''
Outspoken power plant opponent and former Selectman Joanne Muti was pleased to hear about the developments and said she respected Competitive Power's decision to bow out of the process voluntarily, as well.
``It was gracious of CPV to withdraw rather than impose their plan on an unwilling community,'' she said.
Kelly vowed Competitive Power would not go to the state's energy utility siting board to seek a state permit for the Walpole site.
``That is not how we operate as a company,'' he said. ``We never have. We want to partner with our communities.''
There is no chance of Competitive Power going back on its decision or starting the process in town again, Kelly said.
``We have withdrawn completely,'' he stressed. ``We are withdrawn from Walpole.''
Kelly said that the choice was made this morning, denying rumors that the decision had been made prior to withdrawing their approval not required (ANR) plan with the Planning Board last Thursday.
That plan would have grandfathered the power plant proposal under bylaws that allowed for ``any lawful use'' of property just days before the ambiguous clause was voided by Town Meeting.
Kelly said they pulled the ANR plan to see how the vote would go at Monday's fall Town Meeting.
``Frankly, we wanted to see what the community had to say,'' Kelly said.
The 105-10 vote at Town Meeting to void the clause that allowed Competitive Power zoning clearance gave the company a ``clear indication'' that the majority of Walpole citizens were against the proposal.
Asked what would have happened if the vote had gone the other way, Kelly commented that ``it's very hard to say'' what he would have done, opting not to speculate on the matter.
``It's a great day for democracy in Walpole,'' Muti wrote in an e-mail early yesterday afternoon.
``The results of the June election - when anti-power plant candidates were elected - and the overwhelming 105-10 vote of Town Meeting to remove zoning that would allow a power plant, finally demonstrated to CPV that the majority did not support the plant.''
The plan for Competitive Power Ventures all along was to attempt to present the facts to Walpole residents, Kelly said. If the town still did not have an appetite for it ``then we would move on.''
Kelly said he believes his company was not allowed the opportunity to adequately present its case to the public.
``I've worked on projects around the globe. I've never seen anything quite like this before,'' he said, speaking about the overwhelming local opposition.
Kelly blamed a small group of Walpole residents, who he said were ``able to turn the agenda'' against the power company's proposal.
``I've never seen people so willing to hinder the process,'' he said. He contends some people tried to block others from hearing the truth about the proposal.
``The opposition was just too much to overcome,'' said Timilty.
Ultimately, he said, there were just too many concerns about the project, especially the water it would use and its location over the town's aquifer.
``It was just time to site elsewhere,'' said Timilty who attempted to block the company's proposal twice on Beacon Hill, explaining that Walpole was simply not a good place to host such a large plant. He also noted that the state is continually turning to green and nuclear energy.
Kelly also quashed circulating rumors that the company was retreating based on economic decline and financial troubles.
Competitive Power is in terrific shape financially, he said, adding it is ``very bullish on the U.S. market.''
In addition, the company would not have had to finance the proposal in Walpole for some time, Kelly said.
When it came down to it ``they couldn't allay the fears of the townspeople,'' Timilty said. ``It just appeared they wouldn't be able to turn the tide.''
