State Set To OK Liquefied Natural Gas Facility Near Worcester

CHARLTON, MA — A planned $100 million liquefied natural gas (LNG) facility may get the go-ahead from state regulators at a meeting next week, but the public still has a few ways to comment on the project.

On Sept. 20, the state Energy Facilities Siting Board tentatively approved plans for the Northeast Energy Center (NEC) LNG facility along Route 169 in Charlton. The plant would be used to turn natural gas into liquid, store the fuel and act as a waystation for LNG from a facility located in Everett.

The facility, first proposed in 2018, would be able to store about 2 million gallons of LNG, and could produce another 250,000 gallons per day. The bulk of the LNG would be sold to National Grid.

The facility drew pushback from local residents concerned about the location, and the safety of explosive gas. There have been multiple high-profile natural gas explosions in the U.S., including in the Merrimack Valley in 2018.

The plant would be located on 12 acres just south of the frequently clogged intersection of Route 169 and Route 20, and southeast of the Treehouse Brewing Co. headquarters. The facility itself would also abut a former landfill, the Southbridge Municipal Airport and the natural gas-fired Millennium Power Plant.

There are also environmental concerns related to natural gas, which is removed from the earth through hydraulic fracturing. Burning natural gas also releases carbon dioxide, worsening the ongoing climate crisis. The state Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs has set a goal of reducing carbon emissions in the state by 85 percent by 2050. Some towns in the state, including Acton, Concord and Brookline, have tried to outlaw natural gas and other fossil fuels an energy source for new buildings.

The Energy Facilities Siting Board will discuss and possibly vote to approve the Charlton LNG plant at the Oct. 6 meeting. Written comments are due by Friday, and members of the public who wish to speak at the meeting must contact the siting board by Tuesday.