The entirety of the Aquidneck Island delegation to the Rhode Island General Assembly sent a letter to National Grid advocating for the non-infrastructure solution to the island’s fracked gas capacity issues. In the letter, Senators Dawn Euer, Louis DiPalma and James Seveney, and Representatives Lauren Carson, Terri Cortvriend, Susan Donovan, Marvin Abney and Deborah Ruggiero argue that the future of development on Aquidneck Island does not depend on the expansion of fracked gas infrastructure.
“Aquidneck Island municipalities can continue their development plans without increasing reliance on gas. New buildings can easily be designed to meet their energy needs with a combination of efficiency measures and modern green technologies,” write the legislators, adding, “Weatherization and electrification are far more cost-effective solutions for ratepayers than an expansion of gas infrastructure.“
In a report, National Grid had identified a future gas capacity issue, based on their projection of fracked gas demand on the island and provided a cost analysis of various options to address this demand. The most expensive option, according to National Grid, was to reduce dependency on fossil fuel through a process of electrification of heating and weatherization of homes. Environmentalists in Rhode Island cried foul, pointing out that National Grid had failed to account for the economic benefits of reducing the use of fossil fuels. The company had seemingly produced the report based on their bottom line, not on the health and safety of the communities they purportedly serve.
“National Grid should be working with customers to reduce gas demand in our communities,” write the legislators. “Gas and associated infrastructure have well-documented safety and health concerns. Combustion and methane leaks will continue to contribute to local safety risks, air pollution, and climate change for decades. Even “decarbonized fuels” like renewable natural gas or hydrogen substitutes carry the same risks to public health and safety as geological natural gas. In sum – the continued use of these fuels compromises the health and safety of residents; expanding the infrastructure for their continued use will be a cost passed on to ratepayers at a time when so many are struggling.“
Recently, National Grid was granted an exception to oversight by the Energy Facilities Siting Board (EFSB) for the erection of temporary fracked gas facilities to deal with the capacity issues caused by the companies own negligence. The legislators were adamant that any future expansion of fracked gas infrastructure on Aquidneck Island must be brought before and approved by the EFSB, writing, that the EFSB “is the proper regulatory authority to vet National Grid’s proposals to ensure a proper balance between the consumer costs, adverse environmental impacts, health and safety of Rhode Island’s citizens, and demonstrated need of the facility to meet the energy needs of the community.”
