Rhode Island Makes Big Moves on Renewables, Offshore Wind
By Christian Roselund
On 29 June 2022 Rhode Island Governor Dan McKee signed legislation requiring the state’s utilities to purchase credits from renewable energy sources to account for 100% of their sales in 2033. While roughly 30 states have some form of renewable energy mandate, this is the most aggressive timeline of any state and is exceeded only by Washington D.C.’s requirement of 100% by 2032. Additionally, Governor McKee signed legislation requiring the state’s utilities to procure 600 – 1000 megawatts of offshore wind.
While Rhode Island’s 1.1 million residents represent only 0.3% of the population of the United States, its renewable energy mandate has the potential to inspire action in other, larger states. Aside from Rhode Island, only two other states have passed policies that require at least 70% renewable energy in the electricity sector by 2030: New York (70% by 2030) and Vermont (71% by 2030/75% by 2032).
However, Oregon has mandated that electric utilities reduce their emissions 80% by 2030, North Carolina has ordered 70% by 2030, and Washington requires utilities to reach carbon-neutrality in their electricity supply by that date. Taken together, these six states make up 13% of the
U.S. population.
Unlike most other renewable energy mandates that require a certain portion of in-state generation, distributed generation, or specific resources, Rhode Island’s law only requires that resources providing renewable energy credits be located within New England Power Pool. This means that the state’s gas plants can continue to operate. Any issues with integrating very high levels of renewable energy must be handled by the regional grid operator, not the state.
In 2021, Rhode Island passed its “Act on Climate” law, which sets legally enforceable targets for the state to reduce carbon emissions 45% economy-wide by 2030, on the way to net zero carbon emissions by 2050. Environmentalists presented the 100% renewable electricity bill as a necessary step to meet Act on Climate targets.
Rhode Island Governor Dan McKee signing the offshore wind procurement bill.
Photo: Office of Rhode Island Governor Dan McKee.
600 – 1000 Megawatts of Offshore Wind
On 6 July 2022 Rhode Island Governor Dan McKee also signed legislation to require the state’s utility to hold solicitations for 600 – 1000 megawatts of offshore wind and to begin the procurement no later than 15 October 2022. Rhode Island already hosts the nation’s first offshore wind farm, the 30-megawatt Block Island Wind Farm. The state’s utility has also signed a contract to procure 400 megawatts from the Revolution Wind project, which expects to begin construction in 2023.
Assuming a 45% capacity factor, the combined 1030 – 1430 megawatts of existing, contracted, and planned offshore wind would meet 55 – 77% of the state’s 2021 electricity sales. Additionally, in 2021 Rhode Island generated electricity from solar equivalent to around 10% of its electricity sales – as the first state east of the Rocky Mountains to reach this milestone. However, Rhode Island will need to continue to build and/or procure more renewable generation over the next few decades to meet its targets. A study by Stockholm Environmental Institute and Brown University estimates that when Rhode Island fully electrifies its heating and transportation sectors, in-state electricity demand will roughly double to around 17 terawatt-hours per year.
| State | Operational | Contracted | Mandated but not contracted (min.) | Total |
| Rhode Island | 30 | 400 | 600 | 1030 |
| Massachusetts | 0 | 1600 | 4000 | 5600 |
| Connecticut | 0 | 1108 | 892 | 2000 |
| Total | 30 | 3108 | 5492 | 8630 |
These plans for an additional 600 – 1000 megawatts of offshore wind add to Massachusetts’ mandate for the state’s utilities to procure 5600 megawatts of offshore wind and plans by Connecticut to procure 2000 megawatts of offshore wind by 2030. This totals a minimum of 8600 megawatts of offshore wind that utilities in Southern New England either have under contract or will be required to procure. As the first projects in New England are more advanced than offshore wind projects in other parts of the Americas, this volume could make New England the center of the offshore wind industry in the Western Hemisphere.
Read more:
Source: Governor McKee Signs Legislation Requiring Offshore Wind Procurement for 600 to 1,000 Megawatts (State of Rhode Island, Governor Dan McKee)
Source: Governor McKee Signs Historic Legislation Requiring 100% of Rhode Island’s Electricity to be Offset by Renewable Energy by 2033 (State of Rhode Island, Governor Dan McKee)
Source: H 7277 SUBSTITUTE A (Rhode Island Legislature)
Source: H 7971 SUBSTITUTE A (Rhode Island Legislature)
