BREAKING NEWS: Burrillville Backlash Erupts Over Renewed Power Plant Proposal
April 22, 2025
Burrillville is once again at the center of a brewing environmental and political storm after a surprise announcement Tuesday that a new energy firm, Northeast Grid Solutions (NGS), has submitted a preliminary application to build a natural gas-fired power plant on the same site once proposed by Invenergy, reigniting memories of the bitter battle that gripped the town nearly a decade ago.
The company claims its $800 million project, dubbed the ClearRiver Energy Revival, would be more efficient and environmentally responsible than its predecessor, but the community’s response was swift and furious.
“We fought this once. We won. And we won’t back down now,” said longtime Burrillville resident Marcia Thibodeau, one of the original leaders of the opposition to the now-defunct Invenergy plan. “They think we’ve forgotten. We haven’t.”
The project application was quietly submitted to the Rhode Island Energy Facility Siting Board (EFSB) in early April and surfaced publicly only after a legal notice was published in a state regulatory bulletin last week. Residents and town officials alike expressed outrage that there was no local consultation prior to the filing.
“It’s a slap in the face,” said Burrillville Town Council President James Colletti, who demanded an emergency meeting with state officials. “This community made its voice clear in 2019, and here we are again—being treated like a dumping ground for someone else’s energy needs.”
The proposed facility would occupy the same parcel of land near the George Washington Management Area and would source cooling water from a new underground well system. Environmental advocates say that’s even more concerning than the previous plan.
“This is a clear and direct threat to Burrillville’s water supply, wildlife, and long-term health,” said Amy Moses, regional director of the Conservation Law Foundation. “We beat Invenergy, and we’ll beat this too.”
Governor Daniel McKee’s office released a statement late Tuesday saying the state is committed to “a fair and thorough review of all energy proposals” and recognizes “the important role of local voices in that process.” But that did little to cool the fury in town.
By nightfall, over 400 people had gathered on the Burrillville Town Common, chanting “No means no!” and holding handmade signs with slogans like “ClearRiver, Clouded Lies” and “Protect Our Forests.”
As opposition grows, many see the renewed proposal as a test of whether Rhode Island will honor the environmental legacy of past battles — or allow history to repeat itself.
“This isn’t just about Burrillville,” Thibodeau said. “This is about every town in Rhode Island that thinks its voice doesn’t matter. We’re going to show them it still does.”
