Opponents question need for more natural gas

BURRILLVILLE – While the state Energy Facility Siting Board is busy considering a proposal for a new natural gas power plant here, there has been little movement on the project with local officials.

Invenergy Thermal Development LLC of Chicago expects to start building the Clear River Energy Center by the beginning of 2017 and have it generating electricity by June 1, 2019. But the town Planning Department has yet to receive an application for the $700 million facility, which must eventually receive local permits and approval by the Planning Board, ecoRI News reported last week.

Invenergy has said a new plant is necessary to meet the growing demand for energy in the region and to fill the energy void created by the retirement of some area power plants.

According to the legal advocacy group the Conservation Law Foundation, however, this argument was debunked in early February when a regional auction for the power purchased half of Clear River Energy Center’s expected output. •

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