Power plant plan in Brockton causes controversy

A proposed 350-megawatt, gas fired power plant in Brockton is continuing to cause controversy.

On Monday, a long-awaited look at detailed plans for the plant on Oak Hill Way was postponed after city finance officials refused to hear from experts provided by the plant's project manager.

After waiting for 90 minutes while city officials took agenda items out of order, Ron Kelly of Advanced Power seemed thrown. "This is quite a turn of events," he said quietly. "It never crossed my mind that you would not want to hear part of the story."

Among his experts was a former Harvard University public health professor, Peter A. Valberg, now a project consultant. The plant's backers had hoped the presentation would dispel rumors and fears about health hazards potentially caused by such a facility.

The Brockton Clean Energy project is a $350 million combined-cycle gas turbine development project from Boston-based Advanced Power of North America, a unit of German alternative energy facility developer Advanced Power AG. Proponents asked for equal time before the council after opponents made a presentation last month.

After inviting Kelly in the name of "open and fair government," Councilor at Large Todd Petti and Ward One Councilor Timothy Cruise were beside themselves as a roll-call vote prompted by Ward Six Councilor Michelle DuBois succeeded in blocking Valberg's and others' presentation.

"This is a disgrace," Petti said. "Everyone should have equal access. This evening doesn't mean this plant is going to be built."

In the end, the 15-minute Power Point presentation was postponed to Aug. 18, when the group meets again.

Monday's meeting would have been Advanced Power's first presentation before the Finance Committee. It followed a contentious debate earlier this month before the Conservation Commission for a wetlands review that was continued until Aug. 21. That gathering got heated upon word the Advanced Power plan calls for a 750,000-gallon oil storage tank along the Salisbury River.

Read more of this Globe South story here.