BIPCo group selects Nebraska firm to do long-term planning study By Abby Fox The Block Island Power Company working group has finally chosen a firm to perform an Integrated Resource Plan: HDR Inc., a national firm headquartered in Omaha, Neb.

An Integrated Resource Plan will be a long-term study to analyze energy needs and find the most cost-effective and environmentally sensitive ways to meet those needs on Block Island. The plan will consider several different options available, among them a cable to the mainland and alternative energy and offer the group its opinion.

The group, made up of Steve Scialabba of the Rhode Island Division of Public Utilities and Carriers, BIPCo President Al Casazza and town representative and management consultant Everett Shorey, unanimously selected HDR.

BIPCo is familiar with HDR. The company has conducted a distribution study for BIPCo, as well as an alternative energy study.

Their work for BIPCo has been derided by both town and state officials.

Last month, the group interviewed two other bidders - La Capra and Synapse, both from Massachusetts - and liked them. But in the end, they were no match for HDR, Shorey said.

"HDR had by far the best presentation, which was interesting, because they had by far the worst proposal," Shorey said. "We decided in the end that we were hiring them, and not their papers. I am totally comfortable with this choice. They were thoughtful; they were creative. They totally got the island perspective."

Shorey was also impressed that "they brought four people in from all over the country. That was on their nickel. You don't bring four people in from all over the country if you don't care." Two people came from Billings, Mont., one from Omaha, and one from Seattle.

Although some HDR employees have worked with BIPCo before, the HDR representatives whom the working group met were new faces, Shorey said. "Al Casazza had never met these people," he said. In fact, the two people whom "we liked best haven't been involved with BIPCo in the past," he added.

HDR's bid was not the cheapest, Shorey said. La Capra's bid was lower, while HDR's and Synapse's were similar in price.

The group hasn't signed a final contract but hopes to do so in April, Shorey said. "Selection is not final until we have negotiated a final contract."

The fact that HDR's offices are much farther away from Block Island than the other applicants doesn't appear to be a problem, Shorey said. "The weakness of HDR is that they're not familiar with the local power markets," he said, but added that travel costs are "their problem." When HDR starts visiting the island to work on the plan, "we're just going to have to make sure that their time is well-spent," he said.

At Wednesday night's Town Council meeting, Town Manager Nancy Dodge announced the working group's decision. "Shorey had absolutely no equivocation in recommending them," she said.

Second Warden Johno Sisto asked Dodge to ask Shorey to put the group's verdict into writing.