A new proposal to build an LNG terminal on an uninhabited Boston Harbor Island sounds like a splendid idea — and not merely because it is somewhere other than here.

AES Corp. of Virginia revealed a plan last week to place a liquefied natural gas terminal on Outer Brewster Island. If built, proponents say it could supplant the need for LNG terminals in more populous places, among them Fall River, Providence and Everett, Mass., home to an existing Distrigas terminal

While way too early for any sort of celebrating here, the idea does give new hope to all who struggle on against the Weaver's Cove, Fall River, LNG terminal. It provides precisely what Weaver's Cove backers say does not exist — a reasonable nearby alternative that is not surrounded by homes, schools and traffic.

Under the new plan, the megatankers would unload their flammable cargo far out in the harbor, a good two miles from the closest neighborhood in Hull and ten miles from downtown Boston. The LNG would be stored in two immense tanks built within old granite quarries. From there, the gas would be pumped ashore and into the New England network.

On the surface, and that's as close as scrutiny has focused yet, this plan has a lot going for it.

Unlike the Fall River approach, whose tortuous, shallow channel navigates a busy bay, beneath bridges and past bustling communities, this island is far from shore. Ships would encounter no bridges on their way in, the island is away from the main shipping channel yet within relatively protected waters, and the approaches are deep and direct. With few people nearby, the granite-guarded tanks would lose much of their appeal as terror targets.

Certainly some will object — to be fair, we might too if it was in our back yard. So far though, reaction has been muted.

Although part of the Boston Harbor Island park system, Outer Brewster is "far from a virgin site," said AES managing director Aaron Samson. During both world wars, the Army had camps and gun batteries there and the place is still off limits to visitors because of buried hazards.

There is no telling how this proposal will play out but the mere possibility of someplace better than crowded Fall River with its illogical Narragansett Bay approach offers room for optimism. Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney called it "very valid," vastly superior to Weaver's Cove.

Our region sorely needs better access to LNG, just not in a way that puts tens of thousands of people in harm's way. At first glimpse, this island sounds promising.