Permitting Authorities

Rhode Island Energy Facility Siting Board (EFSB)
The Board is the licensing and permitting authority for all licenses, which under any statute of the state or ordinance of any political subdivision of the state, would be required for siting, construction or alteration of a major energy facility in Rhode Island, except for licenses, issued by the Department of Environmental Management under the delegated authority of federal law of Chapter 2-1 of the Rhode Island General Laws, or licenses issued by the Coastal Resources Management Council under Chapter 46-23 of the Rhode Island General Laws.

The Energy Facilities Siting Board posts all filings, including the initial application, from Invenery on their website. They will post any additional filings they receive there, too.

Energy Facility Siting Act
This is a link to the Rhode Island General Law that empowers the Energy Facility Siting Board. The law also spells out the process for local input.

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC)
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, or FERC, is an independent agency that regulates the interstate transmission of natural gas, oil, and electricity. FERC also regulates natural gas and hydropower projects.

FERC is the government agency that has permitting authority over the construction projects at the Spectra/Algonquin compressor station site.

The FERC on-line eLibrary is at: http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/elibrary.asp.