Providence — How do you follow up on the two legislative sessions in Rhode Island history that have been heralded as the best for environmental policymaking?
There are more and more bills aimed at tackling climate change, conserving natural resources, reducing waste and increasing investment in renewable energy.
That’s what we’re putting forward for some of the state’s leading environmental groups that we hope to see in the new session underway.
They are elected state legislators after a landmark 2021 year at the General Assembly that began with the 2021 passage of the Climate Act, an emissions reduction law designed to form the basis of Rhode Island’s climate policy. says it can’t rest on its laurels, and last year was followed by a flurry of other bills, including bills to update key laws on purchasing clean electricity and to strengthen development of offshore wind power, among others. Another bill aimed at
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“We’ve had two very successful years, but we still have a lot to do,” said Priscilla de la Cruz, president of the Rhode Island Environmental Council, a coalition of organizations in the state. “We need to make this session even more successful if we want to achieve the goals of climate law.”
It became clear just a few weeks ago when the State Council responsible for climate policy adopted a new plan to cut the greenhouse gases of global warming. : Reduce emissions by 45% by 2030.
more:State commission adopts plan for net-zero emissions, but some believe it’s not far enough
Will RI discourage the use of fossil fuels for home heating?
If the state meets its mandated targets and seeks to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050 as mandated by climate law, it will benefit from inclusion in solar, wind and other greener sources of electricity. Not only does it represent a dramatic switch – it will change the way Rhode Islanders heat their homes and travel.
There has been talk of creating a renewable heat standard that applies to the heating sector and mirrors existing renewable energy standards for electricity supply. Such heating standards would require a statewide phasing of sectoral emissions.
Or maybe there’s something aimed at updating building codes to stop new connections to natural gas and oil for heating. California and Massachusetts are already moving to electrify new-build heating systems and ban fossil fuel connections. Utility regulators here in Rhode Island took the idea seriously when it was put forward as part of a discussion on the Aquidneck Island gas system.
But if Rhode Island adopts a statewide ban, it would be the first in the country. I believe that there is sex.
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“I think the climate law has anticipated this problem,” Webster said, adding that the law’s provision, which he and others argue, encourages state agencies to take action to curb emissions. He claims to have given him permission.
The Acadia Center, a local clean energy group, and many other organizations, such as The Nature Conservancy and the Audubon Institute of Rhode Island, are also committed to revamping their energy efficiency programs. State efforts to insulate homes, replace outdated appliances and take other steps to conserve energy have long been considered the most effective in the country, but observers are still improving. He says there is a lot of room for
One change under consideration could remove incentives to install gas stoves and other appliances that use fossil fuels. This may be more real than in years past, as recent research raises questions about the adverse health effects of households using fossil fuels.
More broadly, there are concerns that energy efficiency incentives are not reaching enough low- and middle-income households. Discussions are ongoing about how to extend the reach of the program to renters, multifamily homes, and homes where English is a second language.
Senator Alana DiMario, the new chairman of the Senate Environment and Agriculture Committee, said: “We have an opportunity to maximize these programs.”
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Top Priority: Rethinking Solar Project Placement
If there is one piece of legislation that environmentalists are expected to rally this year, it will likely reform the way large-scale solar projects are installed. For at least six months, rural and suburban communities have struggled with complaints about the loss of green space caused by the proliferation of ground-mounted solar arrays developed on agricultural land and cleared forest areas.
DiMario and others say this could be a session to redo how states are incentivizing solar development after years of failed attempts. Those involved in consultations on the issue said the details had yet to be worked out, but one idea many agreed with was that federal infrastructure funds allocated to states could be used to create landfills, gravel, and more. It is to start cleaning messy areas such as pits, former industrial sites, etc. Do other work to get the solar installation ready.
The goal is to keep developers away from pristine green spaces by making previously used sites more attractive.
more:A new program helps low-income homeowners buy solar panels. Here’s how it works:
“We know it’s a historic moment to be able to raise so much money,” said de la Cruz, senior director of government affairs at the Audubon Society of Rhode Island. We don’t want to see the state miss out on these opportunities.”
She described the transformation of the solar site as the organization’s top priority. She is Climate and Energy Program Manager at The Nature Conservancy, as is Sue AnderBois.
“Unnecessarily, land-based renewables and open spaces are at odds,” she said. “We need to protect open spaces, but we also need to develop a lot of renewable energy.”
Moves to Reduce Littering: Nip Bans, Fees on Beverage Containers
There are also bills in the coming weeks aimed at addressing the state’s garbage problem, including banning nips, miniature bottles of alcohol littering roadsides, and a bottle bill to force consumers to pay for beverage containers. is about to be submitted. If they return an empty one, we will issue a refund. Clean Water Action and Save The Bay are among the groups leading the fight to reduce waste.
more:Will Banning Nip Bottles Reduce Waste? Fireball Makers Want To Try New Bottles Instead
DiMario hopes to see more work, including bills that didn’t go ahead last year and new proposals on climate change and other environmental issues.
“Climate change legislation really laid the groundwork for us, and now we have to meet that need,” she said. “I look forward to the challenge of continuing to figure it out.”
