The The Newport Environment & Energy Commission met on Oct. 20 to gauge the public perception of a moratorium on new natural gas connections on Aquidneck Island.
An educational workshop on the topic is scheduled for Oct. 29, at 5:30 p.m., in the Newport City Council chambers.
The commission’s official position on the question has not been announced, though it appears it is leaning towards supporting a moratorium.
“This whole conversation started after the gas supply shortage in 2019,” said Tina Munter, of Green Energy Consumers Alliance, who attended the meeting.
The possibility of a moratorium on new natural gas connections was bolstered by Rhode Island’s Act on Climate, Munter said, which was signed into law by Gov. Dan McKee in 2021.
The Middletown Town Council and the Portsmouth Town Council have both voted to oppose a natural gas moratorium, saying it is not in the public interest. While the commission remains noncommittal, a resolution is expected after the council workshop.