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Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Neronha and 17 other AGs sue Trump administration for anti-wind directives
Paul Murphy, a senior director with Orsted, discusses the assembly of offshore wind turbine components for the Revolution Wind project at ProvPort in June 2024. A new federal lawsuit co-led by Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha alleges the Trump administration's orders and actions have derailed the nascent wind industry. (Photo by Robert Zullo/ States Newsroom) Rhode Island's laws, along with its economy, energy prices and resilience against climate change, hinge upon offshore wind projects now at risk under President Donald Trump's administration, Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha contends. Which is why Neronha joined with 17 other Democratic attorneys general in asking a federal judge to block the federal administration from its 'unlawful attempt' to halt the offshore wind sector. The 101-page federal lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Massachusetts on Monday marks the latest in a frenzy of legal challenges attacking Trump policies regarding education, immigration, research funding, public health, and grants and aid to state governments, among others. 'Mere hours after taking office, this President issued an executive order reaffirming his commitment to dismantling substantial clean energy progress in this country,' Neronha said in a statement Monday. 'The development and implementation of renewable energy resources, including wind energy, is a crucial part of stabilizing energy prices at a time when Rhode Islanders are struggling to pay skyrocketing energy bills. Further, the continued development of wind energy will help us meet our state's Act on Climate goals, provide quality jobs for Rhode Islanders, and help maintain a habitable planet for generations to come. We can't afford any setbacks when it comes to climate, and we will fight to make sure our progress isn't lost.' The complaint argues that Trump and federal agencies violated separation of powers protections under the Administrative Procedure Act in reversing 'longstanding federal policy' to promote offshore wind. It also contends the named defendants — including the U.S. departments of interior, agriculture, energy, treasury and commerce and their secretaries and the bureaus of land management and ocean energy management and their directors — violated federal environmental laws enshrining proper permitting and approval proceedings to protect clean air, endangered species and the ocean floor. Renewable energy, including wind-powered electricity, has enjoyed bipartisan support dating back to the early oughts under President George H. W. Bush's administration, which saw the industry grow by 400%. During Trump's first term in office, federal agencies charged with overseeing leasing and permitting for offshore wind projects held seven auctions for new offshore wind leases and granted multiple leases to project developers, the lawsuit states. Yet when Trump took office on Jan. 20, he issued a memo indefinitely pausing federal reviews and approvals for offshore wind projects. The 'amorphous redundant, extra-statutory, and multi-agency review' wreaked havoc on the nascent industry almost immediately, the lawsuit states. 'The Wind Directive has stopped most wind-energy development in its tracks, despite the fact that wind energy is a homegrown source of reliable, affordable energy that supports hundreds of thousands of jobs, creates billions of dollars in economic activity and tax payments, and supplies more than 10% of the country's electricity,' the complaint states. The 17 other attorneys general who joined the lawsuit with Neronha represent Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, New Mexico, Oregon, and Washington. They have asked a federal judge to declare Trump's Jan. 20 memo unlawful and stop the named federal agencies and cabinet directors from delaying or preventing wind energy development. Matthew Nies, a spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Justice, declined to comment on the lawsuit in an emailed response Tuesday. Offshore wind turbine blades being unloaded at the Port of Davisville in North Kingstown in 2023. (Courtesy Quonset Development Corporation) SouthCoast Wind review pushed back In Rhode Island, where construction on the 704-megawatt Revolution Wind project was already underway after securing all requisite federal and state approvals, advocates remained initially optimistic. Rhode Island Energy was also in the midst of negotiations to buy another 200 megawatts of 'nameplate capacity' wind electricity from a second project, SouthCoast Wind, at the time of Trump's Jan. 20 memo. The wind project to be built off the coast of Martha's Vineyard had already received seven out of 10 federal permits at the time. But suddenly, the expected completion date for its remaining federal reviews was extended, from March 27, 2025, to June 26, 2025, according to the lawsuit. Rhode Island Energy has since pushed back its contract signing date with SouthCoast Wind developers, with multiple parties citing uncertainty in federal policy as one reason for the longer-than-anticipated negotiations. The utility company, along with companies in Massachusetts, now expects to finalize the deals setting energy purchase prices by June 30. Headwinds slowing the offshore wind industry intensified last month, after the U.S. Department of Interior ordered developers of an already-permitted wind project off New York, Empire Wind, to halt construction. U.S. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said in the April 16 directive that the project, approved under the Biden administration, was 'rushed' and its approval granted 'without sufficient analysis.' Meaghan Wims, a spokesperson for Revolution Wind, declined to comment on any correspondence from federal agencies to the project developer in an email on April 18. Wims did not immediately respond to follow-up inquiries for comment Tuesday. The project being built off the coast of Block Island is expected to be completed in 2026, according to its website. SouthCoast Wind in response to inquiries last month after the Empire Wind directive referred back to its federal online permitting dashboard. The dashboard shows an expected June 25 completion date for all remaining permits under review — the same as was listed prior to the Empire Wind stop-work order. A spokesperson for SouthCoast Wind also did not immediately respond to follow-up questions Tuesday. Wind-powered electricity set to grow Rhode Island's clean energy portfolio is critical to meet its climate change goals, codified under the 2021 Act on Climate Law and a 2022 law requiring the state achieve 100% renewable electricity by 2033. 'The Wind Directive also harms Rhode Island's ability to protect its residents, as part of a broader effort, from the growing impacts of climate change,' the complaint states. 'As outlined above, delaying or preventing development of new wind energy in the region prevents New England states, including Rhode Island, from bringing new energy resources online that are important to ensure a reliable grid and cleaner renewable energy, and to combat the price volatility related to continued reliance on fossil fuels in the region.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Boston Globe
21-04-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
Dominick Ruggerio's political evolution was personal
Related : But there has been a noticeable change in Ruggerio in recent years. He became more comfortable in his highly visible role as the president of the Rhode Island Senate. Maybe it was being a grandfather? Maybe he was adjusting to leading a chamber that was far more liberal than him? Get Rhode Map A weekday briefing from veteran Rhode Island reporters, focused on the things that matter most in the Ocean State. Enter Email Sign Up So after Rhode Island lawmakers overwhelmingly approved a sweeping environmental bill called the Advertisement 'I've been called a lot worse,' he chuckled, showcasing a slight hint of vulnerability: he knew people still gossiped about a shoplifting incident he was involved in more than three decades ago. Ruggerio Advertisement It was not the most graceful end, in part because he chose to pursue another term as president of the Senate at a time when he knew he was unwell. As he was fighting for his life, his family saw weekly headlines about whether he was going to be in But that shouldn't overshadow or tarnish the legacy of a man who served more than 40 years in the Rhode Island General Assembly, first as a state representative, and since 1985, as a senator. Ruggerio was an influential leader within the laborers' union as he gained political power, and it was generally true that he was going to support legislation that created construction jobs at almost every step. He wanted to build a minor league baseball stadium in Providence. He supported the redevelopment of the 'Superman' building, no matter the cost. He thought the land opened up in Providence by moving Interstate 195 would be an economic catalyst for the state. So he allowed the Act on Climate to pass even as many of his friends in the business community had deep concerns. When few other politicians were willing to make it a front-and-center issue, he fought to ensure that employees at Our Lady of Fatima Hospital would have a secure retirement as the hospital's pension fund collapsed. He even showed an Sure, some of that was pragmatic politics. But it also marked the evolution of a man who enjoyed nothing more than watching his granddaughter go horseback riding and perform in dance recitals. He wanted a safer, fairer, cleaner future for all four of his grandchildren. And because of him, they'll have it. Advertisement A few years ago, his political team and the Providence firefighters organized a winter coat giveaway at Veazie Street Elementary School in the city. He spent the day helping poor kids pick out their favorite colors and styles as they tried on different jackets. At the end, he turned to his team and told them it was the best thing he'd done in his political career. I mostly stopped covering Ruggerio for a little while because my partner, Nora, went to work for him as his policy director for two years. She didn't know Ruggerio before she took the job – for a little while there he called her 'Norma' – but she viewed him as a compassionate leader who cared more about policy than many people thought. Most importantly, she found him to be a gentleman. In late 2023, I started covering him again because Nora had left his office, and I asked about his top priorities for the upcoming legislative session. He floated an idea that he hadn't mentioned to anyone before: building a Plenty of people scoffed at the idea. One lobbyist even asked if I put the idea in his head. Nope. As has been the case a lot in recent years, Ruggerio was ahead of his time. He knew there was a Advertisement We're still a long way from URI getting a medical school. There's a long-term study commission underway. But if it happens, URI should name the school after Ruggerio, or at least award him a posthumous doctorate. Dr. Green New Donny has a nice ring to it. Dan McGowan can be reached at
Yahoo
11-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Rhode Island Energy says customers will pay less for electricity this summer
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) — The Rhode Island Public Utilities Commission held a public hearing Monday night to discuss a proposal to decrease supply prices for summer rates. That proposal would decrease the Rhode Island Energy supply price by about $30 per month for the average customer. Many Rhode Islanders have complained to 12 News about higher costs for their gas and electric bills. During Monday night's meeting, dozens of customers filled the room to voice their concerns and listen to the company's proposal. RELATED: Expensive electric bills put RI clean energy policies into spotlight Rhode Island Energy says the average customer's bill will be nearly 17% lower than what they paid during the winter, but it would be about 25 cents higher than last summer's rate. 'We understand the burden of high bills, and we know you feel it even more when temperatures drop and supply prices continue to be high as they have this winter,' said Brian Schuster with Rhode Island Energy. 'The largest component of the adjustments discussed this evening pertains to supply prices, which are completely driven by the market,' he continued. 'We procure the best mix and price and supply resources we can, consistent with the obligations we have under the Act on Climate. And we pass those supply resources on to our customers, dollar for dollar. There's no markup. There is no profit.' If the proposal is approved, it will go into effect next month. Download the and apps to get breaking news and weather alerts. Watch or with the new . Follow us on social media: Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
21-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Another year, another decarbonization bill. And more angst about a deadline.
The city of Providence began tracking energy and emissions use from large, city-owned buildings in 2024, with plans to include private buildings this year. (Photo by Christopher Shea/Rhode Island Current) A new report commissioned by the Rhode Island General Assembly offers a laundry list of problems — and up to $1.4 million in annual costs — preventing the state from collecting energy and emissions information from large privately owned buildings. Yet the city of Providence has already managed to pull off its own version of a building energy benchmarking program, with one half-time employee and a $28,000 city budget, according to information from Priscilla de la Cruz, city sustainability director. The state's Act on Climate Law mandates the state cut emissions 45% below 1990 levels by 2030. Preliminary modeling already suggests the state might miss its 2030 target if it doesn't take action, including in the building sector, which accounted for nearly half of annual emissions in 2022, the most recent data available. 'You can't reduce what you don't measure,' said Tina Munter, Rhode Island policy advocate for Green Energy Consumers Alliance. 'This is a long-term investment for the future of Rhode Island in order for us to meet the mandatory Act on Climate emissions reductions. It is on our state to prioritize something we need to do, which was already signed into law by our governor in 2021.' Rep. Rebecca Kislak, a Providence Democrat, has been trying to warm legislative leaders to the prospect of creating a state building energy benchmarking program for years. Her decarbonization bill last year was stripped down to a study by the Rhode Island Office of Energy Resources, which published a report on Feb. 10. Kislak worries it's already too late to meet the 2030 deadline. 'As I was putting together the draft this year, I kept looking at these dates and thinking, 'are we really going to wait this long?'' Kislak said in a recent interview. Kislak's 2025 bill, introduced in the Rhode Island House of Representatives on Feb. 13, accompanies similar, though not identical legislation in the Senate from Pawtucket Democratic Sen. Meghan Kallman. The legislation calls on the state to begin tracking energy usage from public and privately owned buildings larger than 50,000 square feet in 2026. Private buildings between 25,000 and 50,000 square feet would have to begin reporting energy and emissions usage in 2027. The annual reporting data would be used to develop building emissions standards by June 2029. The Environmental Council of Rhode Island, a consortium of 60 organizations and individuals, considers the legislation a top priority this year — the second consecutive year. Gov. Dan McKee appears on board with at least part of the plan, allocating $139,000 in his proposed fiscal 2026 budget for one new employee to begin tracking energy and emissions from state-owned buildings. However, there is no money or acknowledgement of expanding the program to the private sector in his budget proposal. Olivia DaRocha, a spokesperson for McKee's office, cited lack of data and infrastructure as barriers to creating a program for private sector buildings. 'Expanding to the private sector should be considered in the future based on funding availability and the creation of data and building inventory infrastructure,' DaRocha said. Creating a list of the estimated 2,300 buildings statewide larger than 25,000 square feet requires pulling from multiple datasets, including municipal tax databases, GIS systems and commercial information, according to the OER report. Meanwhile, the state's primary utility supplier, Rhode Island Energy, is still developing a system to automate individual building energy usage based on customer bills, the report says. 'Given the lack of requisite data and infrastructure to support the rollout of a program for large municipal and private buildings, OER should focus on leading a program for certain large state-owned and state-occupied buildings that would lay the foundation for future expansion to large municipal and private buildings,' the report states. The OER estimated an initial $600,000 cost to expand an energy benchmarking program beyond state-owned buildings, rising to $1.4 million for technical support to implement performance standards around emissions. Emily Koo, senior policy director and Rhode Island program director at Acadia Center, was unconvinced the problems were as big, or costly, as the report suggested. 'Providence has already done the work to stand this kind of program up,' said Koo, who previously worked as the city's sustainability director. 'This is the absolute lowest-hanging fruit.' The capital city released its inaugural building energy report in December 2024 with energy and emissions usage for 63 city-owned buildings above 10,000 square feet. The program will expand to include privately owned large buildings within the city limits this year. Three states — including Massachusetts — and 16 cities have passed laws requiring statewide benchmarking of energy and emissions use from large public, commercial and multi-family residential buildings, according to data collected by the Institute for Market Transformation. Additional states and cities have enacted more stringent laws that also require actions by building owners to reduce emissions. Providence's initial rollout hasn't been seamless. For example, the city didn't realize that Rhode Island Energy would not be able to automatically enter private billing data into a third-party dashboard used to track energy usage. The city and utility company are working to teach the estimated 300 businesses affected how to manually request and upload the necessary information until an automation is completed, de la Cruz said. Evelyn Garcia, a spokesperson for Rhode Island Energy, said the company is working to evaluate vendors now, developing the interface in the second quarter of the year. She declined to comment on the state legislation until legislative hearings occur. Another potential sore spot: availability of federal funding. The city has leaned on federal money to prop up its program and promoted separate federal incentives for building owners to reduce emissions through energy efficiency upgrades and conversions to electric heat pumps. 'Recent changes at the federal level have introduced uncertainty around the availability and consistency of energy-related grants, making it challenging to predict current and future funding opportunities,' the report states. Since Jan. 27, OER has been locked out of $125 million in approved federal funding for energy efficiency and renewable energy programs, according to a federal lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Rhode Island. Munter suggested low-interest loans through the Rhode Island Infrastructure Bank's Efficient Buildings Fund as an alternative funding source for municipalities and school districts. 'What is the cost of inaction?' she asked. 'We're talking about our ability to be resilient in the face of climate change.' The Rhode Island General Assembly is on winter recess this week. Hearings on Kislak's and Kallman's bills had not been scheduled as of Thursday. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
12-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
With freeze on federal funding, cutting emissions in RI just got harder.
PROVIDENCE – The development of a strategy that is fundamental to the state's efforts to cut planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions is continuing despite the federal funding freeze. But implementing the recommendations of the plan is expected to be more challenging with an administration in Washington that is openly hostile to efforts to fight climate change. The Rhode Island Executive Climate Change Coordinating Council voted this week to approve the transfer, if needed, of $225,000 in state funds to pay the consultants and other groups that have been working on the climate action strategy, a comprehensive plan that will detail what Rhode Island has to do to meet the emissions targets required by the 2021 Act on Climate. Work on the plan started at the beginning of the year and was being paid for through $3 million that had been allocated from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Carbon Pollution Reduction Grant program. The state has been paying the bills for the work up front and then seeking reimbursement from the EPA under the terms of the grant's binding contract. Those reimbursements had continued smoothly until President Donald Trump late last month signed a sweeping order affecting a raft of congressionally mandated programs and another more specific one that targeted climate spending. There have been a series of government directives, lawsuits and court orders since then, but it's still unclear what will happen to Rhode Island's climate planning grant. 'The news is literally changing daily and sometimes hourly,' said Terry Gray, director of the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management and chair of the state climate council. After the EPA froze its online reimbursement portal, Gray asked the climate council for permission to move $225,000 from DEM coffers in case it's needed to continue paying for development of the climate strategy. The money originally came from the climate commission's budget, which is funded by Rhode Island's share of payments from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, a cap-and-invest program aimed at cutting power plants emissions in the Northeast. The bulk of the money given to the DEM was going to be used on a pilot program to switch over lawn maintenance equipment used in state parks to electric models. That program will have to wait. 'Because the climate plan is such a priority, I want to have a backup plan,' Gray said at the council's meeting on Monday. The DEM money would pay for work on the plan through the end of the fiscal year on June 30. At that point, if the federal funds aren't flowing, the climate council will have to figure out another funding source. The strategy, which is due by the end of the year, is crucial to the state's climate policies because it will set out a framework for Rhode Island to comply with the Act on Climate, the bill signed into law by McKee that requires the state to reach net-zero emissions by 2050. It will look at everything from switching to electric cars to phasing out the use of fossil fuels for heating. While work on the plan will continue, other federally funded programs that have been helping to cut carbon pollution in Rhode Island have been put on hold by Trump's orders. The state Office of Energy Resources has said that it's facing a freeze on $125 million in federal funding that has put on hold programs aimed at helping businesses and homeowners conserve energy and invest in renewables. The total includes about $35 million that was set to come to Rhode Island through a second allocation from the EPA's Climate Pollution Reduction Grant program, according to acting state energy commissioner Chris Kearns. That money was due to the state from a $450-million grant awarded in July to help half a million homeowners across New England purchase electric heat pumps, which are more efficient than fossil fuel furnaces and can be cheaper to operate. The freeze is also affecting a program that aimed to expand the number of charging stations for electric vehicles in Rhode Island. The state was among the first in the nation to complete phase one of the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure program by installing fast-charging stations along the Interstate 95 corridor. It was set to embark on phase two by expanding funding to private and public entities that would have supported the installation of more than 200 publicly accessible charging ports. But after having spent $2 million so far, the state is poised to lose the remaining $21 million that it was awarded, according to the energy office. 'OER and [the Rhode Island Department of Transportation] are monitoring closely all federal matters on electric vehicle charging infrastructure funding,' said Robert Beadle, spokesman for the energy office. 'Clean transportation programs are important in advancing our Act on Climate objectives.' The state energy office has also put a hold on a $32-million program to help homeowners buy energy-efficient clothes dryers and stoves and update wiring. U.S. Rep. Seth Magaziner, D-R.I., has decried the freeze affecting energy programs. 'This could mean higher energy costs, a dirtier environment and fewer jobs for RIers,' Magaziner wrote on X. One state climate program that hasn't been affected, according to Kearns, is Clean Heat RI, which offers incentives to property owners who purchase heat pumps. The $25-million program was funded entirely by COVID stimulus funds from the federal government. So far, the state energy office has awarded 3,800 rebates through the program totaling $15 million. The development of a coastal resilience plan being led by the DEM is also unaffected. The plan, which will identify areas vulnerable to coastal storms, erosion and rising seas, is being funded by the General Assembly. Environmental programs that receive federal funds through the Rhode Island Infrastructure Bank have also continued uninterrupted so far. They include work to help drinking water providers filter so-called forever chemicals from their supplies and replace lead service pipes. The final phase of a decades-long project to protect Narragansett Bay from combined sewer overflows is also still getting federal money through the infrastructure bank. 'If EPA funds were to be frozen, it would have a significant impact on our ability to continue critical projects,' said Ben Smith, a spokesman for the bank. 'Upwards of $180 million could become inaccessible.' On the climate strategy, Gray said that it's still on track for completion by the end of the year. Meeting the goals of the strategy will 'be more challenging now,' he said. 'Not having the federal support and the grants that have already been committed and promised to the state, that makes a big difference,' Gray said. This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: How Trump's spending freeze will affect RI's climate change goals
