PORTSMOUTH — The Town of Portsmouth has moved to intervene in proceedings before the state Energy Facility Siting Board (EFSB) regarding National Grid’s temporary liquified natural gas (LNG) facility on Old Mill Lane.

EFSB will conduct a public hearing for oral arguments on the matter at 1 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 10, in Hearing Room A at 89 Jefferson Boulevard, Warwick.

The board will not hear oral public comments at the hearing, but it will be streamed live to the public and archived here.

The town’s notice of intervention was filed on Oct. 27, and the EFSB has acknowledged that Portsmouth is a full party to the proceedings.  

In its petition for a declaratory order filed with the board on Sept. 16, 2020, the Narragansett Electric Company, doing business as National Grid, argues that the temporary installation and operation of portable LNG vaporization equipment on Old Mill Lane is not a major energy facility as defined by state law, and therefore not subject to the board’s jurisdiction. (The petition is available for public review here.

According to National Grid, the vaporization facility is needed to supply natural gas to the Aquidneck Island distribution system in the event of any interruption of service.

According to the Town of Portsmouth’s memorandums filed with EFSB, however, the facility is indeed a major energy facility subject to EFSB jurisdiction and licensing requirement. 

The town’s position is that the LNG vaporization facility is not a permitted use as a matter of right under the town’s zoning ordinance. Furthermore, the town argues that in the event the EFSB determines the family is not subject to its jurisdiction, the family will require an application, hearing and permitting by the town’s Zoning Board of Review as well as any other permits and approvals that may be required from other town boards and officials.

The memorandum noted that in September 2001, the town’s zoning board granted Southern Union Company, a successor in interest to Providence Gas Company, a special-use permit to allow a proposed temporary peak-shaving LNG facility on Old Mill Lane. The special-use permit expired after one year and was subject to several other special conditions, according to the memorandum.

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