Will there be public hearings about the project?

Yes. Rhode Island Law requires that public input shall be a part of the decision making process. The EFSB must hold at least one hearing in the affected town before holding its own hearings and prior to taking final action on the application. The Town has been advised that EFSB plans to hold additional hearings in Burrillville.

Public hearings held at the local level are subject to the orders and directives set forth by the EFSB and in accordance with local zoning and other regulatory ordinances.

Other  regulatory agencies such as DEM and the PUC are required to render independent and potentialling binding opinions in various aspects of the project. Those agencies will hold their own public process, which may include public hearings.

While the Town has no control over how those agencies conduct their business, if public hearings are announced we will do our best to update this website and notify the Town.

The important point to keep in mind is that any conclusions made at the local level are advisory, regardless of what the usual responsibilities of our local boards may be. All findings of local boards are sent to the Energy Facilities Siting Board which, by law, will use local input in their decision making.

Public hearings will be announced on this website under news and announcements, which can be found on the top right side of the Invenergy information page.