Kai Salem |
Policy coordinator, Green Energy Consumers Alliance
1. What are Green Energy Consumers Alliance’s top priorities in 2022? Green Energy Consumers’ top priority for Rhode Island is to pass legislation to increase our existing Renewable Energy Standard annually until it reaches 100% renewable electricity by 2030. This bill, alongside another big offshore wind contract and legislation to electrify transportation, is essential to meeting the Act On Climate emissions target.
2. What do you see as the biggest successes of Rhode Island energy policy?Historically, Rhode Island has been a leader on climate policy. In the 2000s, we were one of the first states in the country to pass energy efficiency legislation and a Renewable Energy Standard. More recently, the Act On Climate law set mandatory carbon emissions reductions targets of 45% by 2030 and net zero by 2050. This gives us some hope that we can get back on track on climate policy.
3. Where is the state falling short or needs improvement? Because we took until 2021 to pass Act On Climate, we need to play catch-up with careful planning and swift, strong implementation. The state needs more resources to develop programs that incentivize reducing emissions. Rhode Island was relying on the Transportation & Climate Initiative, a regional program to cap transportation emissions and invest in clean energy, to help reduce transportation emissions – but the future of this program is unclear.
4. How does the sale of Narragansett Electric Co. to PPL Corp. impact consumers and the state? The utility company is charged with implementing state energy policy, including energy efficiency programs, offshore wind procurement, the Renewable Energy Standard, solar incentives and more. PPL has to be able to do as good a job as National Grid at providing clean energy to consumers, but we have some serious concerns about their lack of experience. Now that the sale is going through, passing strong climate regulations on the utility is even more important.
5. Rhode Island made a name for itself with the Block Island Wind Farm, but other states appear to be joining or surpassing us. What more could the state do to boost this sector? Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey and Connecticut have committed to procuring thousands of megawatts of offshore wind by 2030 – each. We urge the state to have a contract for at least 600 more megawatts of offshore wind by the end of the year, and 1,500 megawatts by 2030. And any procurements should ensure good labor and environmental practices.
Nancy Lavin is a PBN staff writer. Contact her at Lavin@PBN.com.
