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Council debates edits to town letter on Aquidneck Island gas capacity study; no final vote recorded
Summary
Councilors discussed revisions to an updated town position letter to the Energy Facilities Siting Board about the Aquidneck Island long-term gas capacity study, including whether to reference Middletown and how to cite National Grid/Rhode Island Energy; the council did not record a final vote during the meeting.
Under old business the council discussed an updated town position on the Aquidneck Island long-term gas capacity study and a draft letter to the Energy Facilities Siting Board.
Councilor Paero (as recorded in the meeting) objected to language that included Middletown and said he would vote against the letter as drafted. "Although I am going to be voting in the negative on this ... Middletown hasn't taken an official stance on this and whether or not they're going to hasn't been made publicly known," he said during the discussion.
Other councilors and a staff member discussed how the draft referenced the company that produced portions of the study. One participant recommended clarifying that the entity formerly known as National Grid is now Rhode Island Energy. A staff member suggested a parenthetical such as "RI Energy, FKA (formerly known as National Grid)" to make the docket references consistent.
Councilors also questioned language in the draft that referenced the "feasibility of additional natural gas pipelines." Councilor Plaen asked whether any public feasibility study exists; a staff member replied there is no public feasibility study and that any analysis may be internal to the utility. "No. There is there isn't a feasibility study as of yet," a Town staff member said.
The transcript records edits being suggested (removing Middletown from a specific line and clarifying the energy company name) but does not record a final motion or recorded vote to adopt the letter during this meeting. The discussion therefore remained at the review-and-edit stage with suggested wording clarifications noted for the clerk to capture.
Next steps were not formally recorded in the transcript as a direction or a vote; the council discussed wording and asked the clerk to capture suggested edits for future consideration.
Because no formal adoption was recorded on the transcript, the town’s official position on the docket will depend on whether the council takes a subsequent vote or issues a finalized letter at a later meeting.
