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Newport council accepts Energy and Environment Commission letter urging exploration of moratorium on new natural gas connections
Summary
The City Council voted to receive a letter from the Energy and Environment Commission asking the city to ask state regulators to explore non-infrastructure energy options for Aquidneck Island, including a moratorium on new natural gas hookups. The reception of the letter drew debate over whether councils should refuse commission communications as a matter of precedent.
The Newport City Council voted to receive a communication from the Energy and Environment Commission recommending that the city convey to state energy regulators support for exploring non‑infrastructure energy solutions for Aquidneck Island, including a moratorium on new natural gas connections.
The item was introduced as a communication from the commission; Councilors debated whether refusing to accept advisory letters would set a damaging precedent for volunteer commissions. Councilor Smythe urged the council not to “turn away any communication” from citizen commissions that spend months preparing advisory work. Councilor Carlin and others clearly opposed the moratorium as policy but said they would not block basic receipt of the commission’s advisory letter.
Emily Conklin, identifying herself as vice chair of the Energy and Environment Commission, summarized the commission’s process: four open meetings and a joint workshop produced a draft letter and a proposed model letter to the state Energy Facilities Siting Board (EFSB). She emphasized the recommendation is advisory and that the council “absolutely do[es] not have to send this to the EFSB” or take any further action beyond receiving the communication.
After a short debate in which multiple councilors said they disagreed with the substance yet supported the council’s role as a forum for civic input, the motion to receive the communication passed by voice vote.
The council’s action was procedural: receiving the commission’s advisory letter places it on the public record and allows Council members to consider whether and how to act on it later. No ordinance, moratorium, or directive to staff was adopted at this meeting.
