Gov. Gina M. Raimondo in her State of the State speech said she wants to make Rhode Island the first state in the country “powered by 100% renewable energy by the end of this decade.” It is a laudable goal, especially for a state with so much at stake due to climate change, but is it realistic?
The state is already committed to a host of other seemingly arbitrary deadlines tied to increased use of renewable energy. Among them: a greenhouse gas emissions cut of 80% below 1990 levels by 2050. A 2017 PBN analysis found the state was on track to meet that goal by 2208.
The state also has a goal for electricity providers to provide 38.5% of their retail electricity sales from renewables by 2035. But that goal, which the state last year said it was on track to meet, would still leave natural gas as the dominant energy source in the state.
It’s possible technology advances speed up to the point the state can meet all of these targets, including Gov. Raimondo’s latest. But right now, that’s a long shot few local businesses would bet on.