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Rhode Island

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State Planning and Incentive Structures | Energy Efficiency Actions | Energy Supply Actions

State Planning and Incentive Structures

Lead By Example—Energy Efficiency in Public Facilities

Status: Completed (with caveat)

Details: Executive Order 05-14 (August 22, 2005) declared that the design, construction, operation and maintenance of any new, substantially expanded, or renovated public building must incorporate and meet at least LEED Silver standards. New or renovated public buildings must also evaluate feasible energy-efficiency measures on the basis of their total life-cycle costs of installation, operation, and maintenance. LEED includes a minimum energy performance level as a component but does not necessarily require buildings to optimize energy performance. States with stand-alone LEED requirements (i.e., the state has adopted LEED requirements for its buildings but has not yet specified energy efficiency targets for those buildings) are listed as Completed With Caveat.

Lead By Example—Energy Efficient Appliance and Equipment Purchase Requirements for Public Facilities

Status: No Activity Identified

Lead By Example—Clean Energy Goals for Public Facilities

Status: Completed

Details: S. 2850, which became effective on July 8, 2008, requires state facilities to purchase 16% of their electricity from renewable sources by 2020.
In January 2006, Rhode Island's Governor established a goal for the state government to buy 15% of its electricity from renewable-energy resources by 2016. In September 2006, the goal was accelerated to 20% by 2011.
Starting in 2004, Rhode Island purchased renewable energy credits (RECs) equivalent to 100% of the energy use of the State House. Governor Carcieri announced the program on March 31, 2004 and it has a lifespan of 5 years.

Lead By Example—Energy Efficiency and Alternative Fuel Goals for Public Fleets

Status: Completed

Details: Executive Order 05-13 (August 22, 2005) requires that state fleet purchases of motor vehicles comply with the Energy Policy Act of 1992 by ensuring that a minimum of 75% of new vehicles purchased are alternative fuel vehicles and the remaining 25% are hybrid-electric vehicles. All new light duty-trucks in the state fleet will achieve a minimum of 19 mpg city for the fleet and be certified as at least a low-emission vehicle. All new passenger vehicles will achieve a minimum of 23 mpg city for the state fleet. The order also discourages the purchase of sport utility vehicles, calling on all state agencies to purchase the most economical, fuel-efficient and low emission vehicles appropriate to the mission.

State and Regional Energy Planning

Status: Completed

Details: Rhode Island's Energy Plan was adopted in 2002 by the State Planning Council. Its goals include promoting energy efficiency and conservation, obtaining a reliable and diverse energy mix, and expanding the role of renewable energy in the state.

Determining the Air Quality Benefits of Clean Energy—Energy Efficiency/Renewable Energy Set Asides (NOX Budget Trading Program)

Status: No Activity Identified

Determining the Air Quality Benefits of Clean Energy—Energy Efficiency/Renewable Energy Set Asides (CAIR Budget Trading Program)

Status: No Activity Identified

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Energy Efficiency Actions

Energy Efficiency Portfolio Standards

Status: No Activity Identified

Public Benefit Funds for Energy Efficiency

Status: Completed

Details: A per kWh charge funds the nation's first public benefit fund, the RI Renewable Energy Fund. The charge is $0.0003/kWh, which raises $2.5 million annually. The legislation initially required $0.00023/kWh for energy efficiency and renewable energy. In 2001 the PBF was extended until 2007. In July 2007, the administration of RIREF programs was transferred to the state's utilities, with oversight from the Rhode Island Office of Energy Resources.

Building Codes for Energy Efficiency—Commercial Programs

Status: Goes Beyond ECPA

Details: 2006 IECC amended to include ASHRAE/IESNA 90.1-2004, mandatory statewide; can use COMcheck-EZ to show compliance.

Building Codes for Energy Efficiency—Residential Programs

Status: Goes Beyond ECPA

Details: 2006 IECC, mandatory statewide; can use REScheck to show compliance.

State Appliance Efficiency Standards

Status: Completed

Details: S2844, signed June 23, 2006, amended the Energy and Consumer Savings Act by establishing new efficiency standards for bottle-type water dispensers, residential boilers, furnaces and walk-in refrigerators/freezers.
The Energy and Consumer Savings Act of 2005 (S0540) imposed energy efficiency standards on 13 electronic devices and appliances, including torchiere lamps, exit signs, commercial refrigerators, and washing machines.

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Energy Supply Actions

Renewable Portfolio Standards

Status: Completed

Details: SB 2082, signed June 29, 2004, requires 3% renewable energy by 2006 and 20% by 2020. Eligible generators include wind, solar, geothermal, small hydro-electric, biomass, and ocean energy. Waste-to-energy technologies are explicitly excluded. The rule also allows load-servers to bank renewable energy certificates for compliance in future years.
In January 2006, Governor Donald Carcieri created the Office of Energy Resources and tasked it with finding a way to generate 15% of Rhode Island’s electricity from wind power.

Public Benefit Funds for Clean Energy Supply

Status: Completed

Details: On July 8, 2008, S.B. 2852 became effective without the Governor's signature. The bill places the Economic Development Corporation in charge of fees collected from electricity customers for the benefit of renewable energy and efficiency programs. Half of this fee revenue, up to $1 million, is earmarked for municipal renewable energy projects.
The Office of Energy Resources was tasked with developing a plan by July 2007 to make the Rhode Island Renewable Energy Fund (PBF) self-sustaining by 2013. In addition, Rhode Island's gas-distribution utilities must include, with approval from the Public Utilities Commission (PUC), a surcharge of up to $0.15 per decatherm delivered beginning in January 2007. The funds collected will support demand-side management programs that will be administered by the utilities, subject to PUC review. The PBF was first amended in 2002 by establishing separate surcharges for renewables and efficiency. The adjusted surcharge for renewables ($0.0003/kWh) and for efficiency programs ($0.002/kWh) will remain in effect for a 10-year period, beginning January 1, 2003.
Rhode Island's Public Utilities Restructuring Act of 1996 created the nation's first Public Benefits Fund for renewable energy and energy efficiency. Initially, the surcharge was set at 2.3 mills per kWh.

Output-Based Environmental Regulations

Status: No Activity Identified

Interconnection Standards—Clean Distributed Generation

Status: No Activity Identified

Interconnection Standards—Net Metering

Status: Completed

Details: On July 8, 2008, Rhode Island Governor Donald Carcieri enacted H.B. 7809 / S.B. 2851, which increased the maximum allowable renewable distributed energy capacity eligible for net metering from 1 MW to 1.65 MW. This bill also increased the aggregate amount of net metering to a maximum of 2% of peak load, providing that at least 1 MW is reserved for projects less than 25 kW.
State-wide net metering for certain utility types. Rhode Island allows net metering of renewable energy and cogeneration systems up to 25 kW.

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