PROVIDENCE – The default winter supply rate for Providence Community Electricity Program residential and commercial customers will be 14.69 cents per kilowatt hour, down 10% from last year.
The new default rate announced Tuesday remains below Rhode Island Energy’s Last Resort Service, which will be 14.77 cents per kilowatt hour for residential customers during the same period. It will be in effect for residential and commercial customers from November until the May 2026 meter read dates.
The winter rate for industrial customers will be 13.045 cents per kilowatt hour and will be in affect from November until January 2026 meter read dates.
Mayor Brett P. Smiley credited the rate drop to the program’s boost in clean, locally sourced renewable energy, saying it helps keep costs low while supporting sustainability.
"With the Providence Community Electricity Program, we are not only providing affordable, renewable energy, but also helping our neighbors better manage their electricity costs," Smiley said. "This program plays a crucial role in our ongoing efforts to build a cleaner, greener Providence, ensuring that everyone benefits from lower energy costs and a reduced carbon footprint."
Launched in 2023, the Providence Community Electricity Program offers an alternative to Rhode Island Energy’s supply service. While the city does not set electricity rates, it works with a third-party consultant, Good Energy LP, to secure competitive pricing and increase renewable energy content through a municipal aggregation model.
Providence’s default electricity option includes 5% more renewable energy than the state-required minimum, all sourced from local projects such as the Fields Point wind turbines in Providence, solar arrays in West Greenwich, and additional wind generation in Coventry.
Providence is one of seven Rhode Island communities participating in the joint program, alongside Barrington, Central Falls, Narragansett, Newport, Portsmouth, and South Kingstown. Together, they contract with the same supplier and consultant to manage the program.
Currently, local participants purchase more than 20,000 megawatt-hours of voluntary renewable energy each year, enough to offset more than 14.5 million pounds of carbon dioxide, according to city estimates.
No action is required for current participants to continue receiving service under the new rate.
Matthew McNulty is a PBN staff writer. He can be reached at McNulty@PBN.com or on X at @MattMcNultyNYC.
