R.I. Business Coalition supports gas supply expansion in Northeast

BURRILLVILLE – In advance of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s Tuesday meeting about Spectra Energy’s plan to build an additional compressor station here, the Rhode Island Business Coalition is voicing its support of efforts to expand the natural gas supply in the Northeast.
The federal agency will meet in Burrillville to give Rhode Islanders a chance to comment on Spectra Energy’s plan.
The station is part of Spectra’s Algonquin Incremental Market Project, which is designed to expand the interstate pipeline capacity of Spectra’s existing Algonquin Gas Transmission system. The current compressor station is on 800 acres owned by Spectra in a remote location of Burrillville.
According to the Spectra website, the AIM Project will “allow abundant regional natural gas supplies to flow reliably into the Northeast, helping to meet the increasing demand while lowering energy costs.”
Spectra has participated in the federal agency’s “pre-file” process for more than a year, holding a number of meetings with landowners, public officials, government agencies and community members to provide information and gather input on the AIM Project.
“To encourage future economic growth, our region must have the gas supply and infrastructure in place to accommodate a growing demand,” said John Gregory, a member of the Rhode Island Business Coalition and president and CEO of the Northern Rhode Island Chamber of Commerce.
“Increasing the availability and access to clean, affordable natural gas is critical to keeping our region’s businesses competitive in a global market,” John C. Simmons, executive director of the Rhode Island Public Expenditure Council and spokesman of the Rhode Island Business Coalition, said.
The meeting is at 6:30 p.m. at Crystal Lake Golf Club in Mapleville.

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