Newport Council Workshop: Aquidneck Island Natural Gas Moratorium (Oct 29, 2025)

A specialized workshop was convened by the Newport City Council on October 29, 2025, to gather information and engage in educational discussion regarding a potential moratorium on new natural gas hookups on Aquidneck Island. The session was designated as non-binding with no vote taken, aiming to inform future policy decisions in alignment with the Rhode Island Act on Climate and the city's resilience goals. Speakers included the Energy and Environment Commission (EEC), the Conservation Law Foundation (CLF), Rhode Island Energy representatives, city staff, and public members.

Consent Calendar

• No routine consent calendar items were discussed; the session was dedicated entirely to workshop testimony and deliberation.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Avery Robertson (EEC Chair): Expressed that while there are serious climate and economic concerns, the city needs a genuine public engagement to shape the fabric of its energy system. He highlighted that natural gas is mostly methane, a potent greenhouse gas, and noted that city policies (2017 Land Use Plan, 2021 Plan, 2024 Strategic Plan) align with climate goals that require transitioning away from fossil fuels.
• Emily Conklin (EEC Vice Chair): Read a statement from Dr. Murphy of The Brattle Group stating that new gas connections increase system costs, create stranded assets, and force future double-conversions (gas to electric). He argued that electrifying new buildings avoids the "death spiral" of the gas system and that while gas connections appear cheaper initially, the long-term cost is higher due to system-wide cost allocation.
• James Crowley (Conservation Law Foundation): Expressed full support for the proposed moratorium. He emphasized that the 2019 outage highlighted the island's vulnerability as a single-feed system, where a total supply disruption could leave half of 12,000 customers without heat even with the Old Mill LNG facility. He argued that every new customer increases the number of people left without heat during a crisis and that the economic transition to heat pumps is inevitable within the 2030s.
• Jamie Rhodes (Conservation Law Foundation): Stated that while a moratorium is unlikely to stop all development, it encourages all-electric construction. He noted that Massachusetts has ruled new customers must pay the full connection cost, making electrification more competitive, and suggested a moratorium should be phased in with targeted funding for retrofits to ensure equity.
• Steve Bojigen (Attorney for Rhode Island Energy): Stated that the company does not support a state-wide moratorium and that Aquidneck Island is unique due to its vulnerability. He noted forecasted growth is modest (0.25% annually) and that the electric system has sufficient headroom for winter electrification for several years. He clarified that a moratorium would not change gas reliability but would prevent adding demand to a constrained system.
• Teresa Kreen (Director of Land Sustainability): Clarified that the city building code requires new construction to be "electric ready" (not necessarily all-electric) as of August 2025. She offered to pull data on fuel sources for new permits to assess the impact of the moratorium on housing and development.
• Bill Boardman (City Engineer): Reported significant roadway impacts from gas infrastructure, citing approximately 60 new gas service cuts per year on top of 160 total maintenance/utility cuts annually. He argued that new gas hookups cause "thousand cuts" to roadways that must be reopened for decades.
• Martha Klein (Public Health Volunteer): Expressed strong support for a moratorium based on human health. She argued that gas burning produces air pollution (NOx) linked to asthma and heart disease, and that gas bans lead to cleaner air. She noted that the cost argument is often a red herring, as winter gas bills are currently higher than electric bills in New England.
• Terry Cortran (State Representative): Expressed concern regarding the Old Mill LNG facility in his district. He supported reducing gas demand to eventually retire the facility, citing that it negatively impacts the quality of life for neighbors living nearby.
• Tina Munter (Green Energy Consumers Alliance): Stated that while an all-electric mandate has not succeeded legislatively, the state is developing a Climate Action Strategy. She warned that unmanaged transitions could lead to a "death spiral" where stranded costs fall on vulnerable ratepayers without ratepayer funding.
• Doug Stevenson (Resident): Expressed opposition and confusion regarding the moratorium's necessity. He questioned the urgency given the modest growth forecasts and argued that the 2019 outage was caused by pipeline pressure, not demand, and that people are currently choosing to leave gas for other reasons.
• Linda Stevenson (Resident): Opposed the moratorium. She cited personal experience with frequent electricity outages compared to gas reliability during storms. She argued that electric heat pumps are less efficient in extreme cold and that the electric infrastructure may not yet handle the increased load from EVs and AI, while the gas system has always been reliable for her homes.

Discussion Items

• Reliability and Vulnerability: Council members and commissioners debated the risk of the single-feed pipeline. James Crowley and the EEC argued that reducing demand is critical to ensure that in the event of a supply disruption, fewer residents are left without heat. Steve Bojigen countered that the Old Mill facility mitigates this, though he admitted it cannot serve the whole island in a total failure scenario.
• Economic Impact and Equity: Councillor Smythe questioned why Newport, a community with high housing costs, should be the "tip of the spear" for energy costs if the issue is statewide. James Crowley and Jamie Rhodes countered that delaying the transition exposes residents to higher gas prices in the future and that the cost of gas connections is currently subsidized by all ratepayers, not the new customer. They argued that a moratorium is an economic protective measure.
• Infrastructure and Development: Councillor Borbaugh raised concerns about the burden of retrofitting historic homes. Bill Boardman highlighted the physical impact on city streets, noting that gas hookups require significant excavation. Jamie Rhodes suggested a moratorium could be designed to exempt retrofits or phase them in with state funding, while new construction could immediately comply with the "electric ready" code.
• Regulatory Context: Participants discussed that the EFSB asked for input on this idea during the Old Mill Lane facility renewal process. The concept was raised by various parties including CLF and the Attorney General's office to prevent demand-side reduction efforts from being offset by new connections.

Key Outcomes

• No Vote Taken: The City Council and EEC explicitly confirmed that this workshop was for educational purposes only and no binding resolution or decision was reached.
• Future Decision Pending: The council agreed to use the information gathered to inform future decisions on a potential moratorium, noting that a formal decision may follow the release of the state's Climate Action Strategy in late December 2025.
• Identification of Discrepancy: It was noted that while the EFSB solicited input on a moratorium, neighboring towns (Portsmouth and Middletown) have passed resolutions opposing it, creating a conflict in the immediate regional stance.
• Data Availability: The City offered to retrieve specific data on building permits and fuel source conversions to better quantify the volume of new gas hookups versus electric-ready builds.