Rhode Island Senate Passes Bill for 600 MW of New Offshore Wind Capacity

The Rhode Island State Senate has permitted the state’s new invoice that facilitates procurement of additional 600 MW of offshore wind capability and removes incentives to which utilities are entitled below the present legislation for signing long-term contracts with newly developed renewable power initiatives.

The invoice (S 2583A), sponsored by Senator Daybreak Euer on the request of Governor Daniel McKee, now heads to the Home of Representatives, the place Consultant Arthur Helpful is sponsoring it below its Home reference H 7971.

As reported earlier this week, the invoice amends the present legislation and has seen a number of amendments itself because it was first launched, with the ultimate amended model now despatched earlier than the Home of Representatives being its “Substitute A”.

The amended invoice units a brand new procurement deadline, from the initially deliberate 15 August 2022 to fifteen October of this yr, and removes an incentive to utilities that may have required ratepayers to soak up an annual incentive equal to 2 per cent of the worth of a contract with a renewable power mission. The two per cent incentive was initially proposed for contracts till 2027 as a discount from the two.75 per cent within the present legislation.

The State Senate obtained the invoice on 1 June from the Committee on Atmosphere & Agriculture, which really useful indefinite postponement of the unique invoice and passage of Substitute A.

The modification additionally permits the Public Utilities Fee higher authority to determine on disputed objects within the contract between the utility and the developer.

The laws requires the purposes for brand new improvement to be publicly clear, adjust to labour requirements and create a range, fairness and inclusion plan that, at a minimal, addresses entry to employment and vendor alternatives for traditionally marginalised communities, in keeping with a press launch from the Rhode Island Common Meeting on 7 June.

The invoice would additionally require offshore wind builders to supply data on potential environmental impacts via the submittal of an environmental and fisheries mitigation plan; and estimates of native financial advantages.

Any proposed offshore wind contract would require evaluation by the Workplace of Power Sources, the Division of Environmental Administration, and Rhode Island Commerce within the type of company advisory opinions. Such contracts must be filed with the Public Utilities Fee for evaluation and approval.

Rhode Island Governor Dan McKee introduced the brand new laws on 23 March, saying the state’s main utility firm – now named Rhode Island Power after its current sale from Nationwide Grid to PPL – could be required to situation a brand new procurement for about 600 MW of newly developed offshore wind capability.

The extra 600 MW of offshore wind would additional develop the state’s clear power portfolio, with the potential to fulfill 30 per cent of Rhode Island’s estimated 2030 electrical energy demand – equal to powering roughly 340,000 houses annually.

Together with the 30 MW Block Island Wind Farm, the primary US offshore wind farm, and the 400 MW Revolution Wind mission which bought the state approval in 2019, offshore wind would cowl 50 per cent of the state’s projected power wants, in keeping with the press launch from the Governor’s workplace in March.

“After we enacted the Act on Local weather final yr, Rhode Island made a traditionally agency, enforceable dedication to quickly undertake renewable power and get critical about our local weather obligations. Tasks just like the one we’re in search of with this laws are an necessary a part of our power future. I’m glad to see the extent of help there’s for a serious mission like this one, as a result of it is going to be a serious step towards responsibly developed renewable power in Rhode Island”, mentioned Senator Daybreak Euer, who additionally sponsored the Act on Local weather that units necessary, enforceable local weather emissions discount targets culminating in net-zero economy-wide emissions by 2050.

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