By Jim McGaw

PORTSMOUTH — The future of natural gas on Aquidneck Island drew sharp debate Wednesday night as residents, advocates, and elected officials turned out to Portsmouth Middle School to weigh in on the possibility of an island-wide moratorium on new gas connections .

The Rhode Island Energy Facility Siting Board (EFSB) convened the hearing to gather public input on whether limiting new hookups could ease the island’s chronic supply problems and reduce reliance on fossil fuels.

The question has lingered since last year, when the board approved a five-year license for Rhode Island Energy to operate its liquefied natural gas (LNG) vaporization facility on Old Mill Lane. The facility was originally set up in the fall of 2019 as a temporary measure in response to a major gas out

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