{"id":2759,"date":"2026-04-07T10:20:58","date_gmt":"2026-04-07T14:20:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/world.350.org\/rhodeisland\/?p=2759"},"modified":"2026-04-29T09:18:24","modified_gmt":"2026-04-29T13:18:24","slug":"pipelines-in-our-backyard","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/world.350.org\/rhodeisland\/pipelines-in-our-backyard\/","title":{"rendered":"Pipelines in Our Backyard"},"content":{"rendered":"

Pipelines in our Backyard<\/strong>
\nEnbridge, which owns and operates the Algonquin Gas Transmission (AGT) pipeline, is proposing upgrades and expansions in Rhode Island. In response, CARI recently co-hosted a series of community education sessions in Burrillville, Tiverton, and Cumberland alongside No Pipeline Expansion (NOPE)<\/a> and Pipeline Awareness Network (PLAN-NE)<\/a>. The \u201cPipelines in Our Backyard\u201d sessions aimed to help members of the public better understand what these proposed projects mean for their communities\u2014particularly the safety, environmental, and public health risks\u2014and how to engage in the process by demystifying industry jargon and sharing resources.<\/p>\n

About the project:<\/strong>
\nThe AGT is a high-pressure pipeline system that carries gas long distances across state lines. The proposed \u201cenhancement,\u201d known as R.A.R.E. (Reliable, Affordable, Resilient Enhancement), plans to replace existing pipeline segments or install significantly larger pipes\u2014allowing more gas to move through the system and extending the life of this infrastructure for decades. Projects like this aren\u2019t just maintenance\u2014it\u2019s an expansion. That means locking in greater fossil fuel use at a time when we need to be moving away from it. And because pipelines are long-lived infrastructure, decisions made now will shape our energy system for decades to come.<\/p>\n

Read more here: Project one-pager<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

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Missed the Presentation?<\/strong>
\nIf you weren\u2019t able to attend, you can explore the full materials here:<\/p>\n

\ud83c\udfa5 [Watch a recording on Youtube<\/a>]
\n\ud83d\udcc4 [Access a PDF of the slide deck<\/a>]
\n\ud83d\udd17 Enbridge\u2019s Website page about this Project<\/a>
\n\ud83d\udd17 NOPE Guide: Who is Enbridge?<\/a>
\n\ud83d\udd17 Future of Heat Initiative: \u201cPaying More for Less\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n

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Key Takeaways<\/b><\/p>\n

In order to prevent future gas expansion, we need to reduce our reliance on it. We covered three key ways that we can do this:<\/span><\/p>\n

1. Energy Efficiency<\/b><\/p>\n

Our grid uses the lowest-cost energy sources first\u2014typically renewables\u2014and turns to more expensive sources like gas as demand increases. When demand is high, gas plants are used more often, driving up costs. The fastest and most cost-effective way to reduce both emissions and energy bills is to use less energy in the first place. Efficiency lowers overall demand, reduces household costs, and eases strain on the grid.<\/span><\/p>\n

Learn how you can improve your home\u2019s energy efficiency here<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Read the RI Energy Efficiency Council\u2019s 2025 Annual Report<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Energy Star program<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

2. Clean Energy<\/b><\/p>\n

Expanding renewable energy like solar and wind reduces reliance on imported fossil fuels and helps stabilize energy costs over time. Gas prices are volatile and influenced by seasonal demand and global events. As we add more renewable energy to the grid, we rely less on these expensive and unpredictable fuel sources.<\/span><\/p>\n

Read ISO-NE\u2019s regional power grid profile<\/span><\/a> & <\/span>ISO-NE\u2019s \u201chow wholesale electricity markets work\u201d<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

How clean energy lowers the price of electricity on the wholesale market<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

3. Electrification<\/b><\/p>\n

Transitioning homes and buildings from gas to electric systems and appliances\u2014powered increasingly by clean energy\u2014is key to improving safety, reducing pollution, and building a more stable energy system. Often the electric appliances are the most efficient too, like heat pumps. In RI we also have a commitment (the Renewable Energy Standard) to run or offset our grid with renewables by 2033.<\/span><\/p>\n

Rewiring America\u2019s guide to going electric<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

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These are also three areas that CARI regularly advocates for \u2014 so make sure you\u2019re signed up for our email list to be notified when there\u2019s a chance for action or other ways to engage<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

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What\u2019s Next<\/b><\/p>\n

Enbridge will be hosting official information sessions in these communities this April, with the first taking place in Wrentham, MA on Earth Day (April 22). These sessions are an important opportunity to ask questions, raise concerns, and engage directly with the company. This is also a chance if you have already granted permission to survey to rescind that (if you need help with this please email: avery@climateactionri.org).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The info sessions will be hosted in Cumberland, RI; Mapleville, RI; Bellingham, MA; and Little Compton, RI the last week of April. If you have questions, would like to know more, or are interested in attending let us know, please email: <\/span>avery@climateactionri.org<\/span><\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This project is currently in the Pre-Filing stage under FERC Docket PF26-7. AGT filed their starter Resource Reports with FERC on April 6th, 2026. The G-1, G-2 and Mainline of this project are now called \u201cL36D Pipeline Loop infrastructure and software for compressor update\u201d. AGT intends to file a formal application in October 2026 and at that point the project will receive a new docket number, starting with \u201cCP\u201d for Certificate Proceeding. We\u2019re not at the point where you can comment with FERC yet, but stay in the loop and we will notify you when it’s time!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Stay in the Loop<\/b><\/p>\n

If you\u2019re interested in staying engaged on this issue, we\u2019re creating a Google Group (as a subgroup of NOPE) to share updates, resources, and opportunities to take action.<\/span><\/p>\n

If you have questions or want to get involved, sign up here:
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

https:\/\/forms.gle\/GEtdEp1peZT2aAcF9\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

CARI co-hosted a series of educational sessions to support public engagement of a pipeline expansion project<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1266,"featured_media":2760,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2759","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/world.350.org\/rhodeisland\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2759","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/world.350.org\/rhodeisland\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/world.350.org\/rhodeisland\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/world.350.org\/rhodeisland\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1266"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/world.350.org\/rhodeisland\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2759"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/world.350.org\/rhodeisland\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2759\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/world.350.org\/rhodeisland\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2760"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/world.350.org\/rhodeisland\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2759"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/world.350.org\/rhodeisland\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2759"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/world.350.org\/rhodeisland\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2759"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}