In October, the first electric buses were unveiled in Rhode Island, signaling the beginning of a new era of clean transportation in the state. RIPTA is testing these buses on routes with plans to purchase up to 20 more by 2021.

The new electric buses have a special connection to Rhode Island because their bodies were fabricated here. TPI Composites, located in Warren, uses a special molding process to make the bus bodies lighter, stronger and last longer. The lighter body allows the bus to use less electricity and travel more miles on a single charge than a traditional diesel bus. TPI shipped the completed body to Proterra in California where the company assembled the bus.

Founded in Rhode Island 50 years ago, TPI Composites now has its headquarters in Arizona with divisions located around the globe. TPI’s primary focus is on renewable energy and the company is the largest independent manufacturer of composite blades for wind turbines in the world.

Brian Lucchesi received his engineering degree at URI and started as an intern with the company in 2002. He worked his way up through engineering and design to general manager of TPI-New England and now runs two facilities with 200 workers.

“Our teams work hard every day to build components for clean energy projects all over the world, but we rarely get to see the final product when installations are completed,” says Brian. “It is an extra special treat to be able to ride in the electric buses we helped build, right here in Rhode Island.”

We see builders all over Rhode Island working on roads, bridges and buildings. However, there is another type of builder we never see – those working in the depths of rivers, lakes, bays and the open ocean.

Nick Tanionos is CEO of Specialty Diving Services, an underwater construction company located at the Quonset Port and Commerce Park, North Kingstown, in the heart of Narragansett Bay.

“We do anything a construction worker would do on land, but underwater,” says Nick.

His team was responsible for building key components of the Block Island Wind Farm which started spinning in 2016. Underwater builders and welders worked on the foundations, set up special buoys for data collection, and built the underwater structures on Block Island to accept the incoming undersea transmission cables. His company also built a 2,500 square foot maintenance facility on his property to accommodate components of the Block Island Wind Farm project and potential future projects.

Nick’s career began at the University of Rhode Island where he was part of a research diving program that studied the movement of fish. He worked on URI’s 230-foot research vessel, Endeavor, and took trips north of the Arctic Circle. In 1986, Nick started Specialty Diving Services out of a garage in North Kingstown and later moved his growing company to the Quonset Port and Commerce Park in 1992.

Today, the company leases a pier in the port and owns five acres of property with 26,000 square feet of building space, as well as a fleet of barges, cranes and special purpose marine support equipment. His company employs 30 people including 12 divers, most of whom are based in Rhode Island. Much of his company’s work comes from projects such as rehabilitating dams, pipelines, undersea cables, bridges, ports and other marine-related projects.

The proposed Revolution Wind Farm, with 50 wind turbines planned 15 miles southeast of Rhode Island’s coast, is a signal to Nick that the offshore wind industry is growing quickly.

“It’s going to be a huge plus for the State,” says Nick. “It will generate jobs and a lot of people in the supply chain will be positively impacted.”

Nick plans to hire more employees to accommodate the growing industry. Right now, his company is working on the Quonset Port North Pier 2 Extension, planned as part of the $70 million port infrastructure improvements bond measure passed in 2016. The Revolution Wind project, if approved, will use Rhode Island ports such as Quonset, as staging areas.

When we asked Nick about what he thinks about working in Rhode Island, he said, “I love the quality of life here. It’s great. Rhode Island is a good central location for our business in New England.

When the Revolution Wind project starts construction in 2022, hundreds of workers will be needed for the assembly of about 50 offshore wind turbines. However, transporting all these workers to their job sites and then back to shore at the end of the day presents a logistical challenge.

Blount Boats, a manufacturer of workboats, ferries and specialty vessels, started in Bristol, Rhode Island, 70 years ago. Run by sisters, Marcia and Julie Blount, the company built a custom 21-meter wind farm crew transfer vessel called the Atlantic Pioneer. The vessel taxied crew back and forth during the construction of the Block Island Wind Farm and continues to be used for operations and maintenance runs.

Marcia Blount, president of Blount Boats, says that the Revolution and Vineyard Wind Farms will need many boats to accommodate the construction and maintenance of their wind turbines, but not just any boat will do. The Blount transfer vessels are built specifically for the construction and maintenance of offshore wind farms. For instance, they are designed to allow passengers to safely disembark in rough seas, they are equipped with an elevated tower to allow the captain to see over any cargo that may be carried on deck, and the catamaran hull allows the vessel to be operated in shallow depths, such as rivers, where a traditional boat would run aground.

While Blount Boats may have a specialty in wind farm transfer vessels, the company’s other vessels are used throughout the world. Bloat boats may be found ferrying passengers in the New York City bay and throughout New England, Puerto Rico, and even the South Pacific. Many of the local vessels will return home every few years to Blount’s dry dock in Bristol for maintenance and repairs.

Blount Boats has about 40 employees and 30 subcontractors, with about three-quarters of its workforce living in Rhode Island. Companies such as Blount are part of the rapidly expanding offshore wind supply chain, which is expected to bring nearly 1,000 jobs to Rhode Island.

A major transformation is underway at Cranston Public Schools. As one of the largest cities in Rhode Island, Cranston has 26 school buildings – many of them built between 50 and 70 years ago – and they are long overdue for an update.

But instead of simply bringing the schools up to modern building standards, Cranston is completely rethinking how a 21st century education should be delivered.

This fall, students at the Eden Park Elementary School started the year in a brand-new wing, which features an open floor plan, equipped with a library and the latest in education technology, including tablets, smart boards and projectors. The classrooms are separated by walls of glass, creating a feeling of openness, which allows plenty of natural light into the space. There are study nooks, “wobbly” stools, and even a sensory room to help students take a break or relieve anxiety.

The new wing of Eden Park Elementary is part of Cranston’s pilot project that departs from the traditional lecture-style classroom setup. Instead, it focuses on creating small groups in which students with different learning styles can receive more personalized attention.

The facility uses the most up-to-date energy efficiency practices, including R33 insulation in the walls, LED lighting, and a “smart” heating and cooling system, which runs on electricity and natural gas instead of using the older oil-powered system. The smart system helps regulate the temperature automatically and will shut itself down if a teacher opens the windows so that it does not waste energy. Since the windows let in plenty of natural light, less power is needed to brighten up the room. The ability to regulate temperature is important for helping students stay focused on learning. Cranston used rebates from National Grid to help pay for the energy-efficient upgrades.

Most of Cranston’s older school buildings are unusable in the summer because they lack air conditioning. The Eden Park school, with its new HVAC system, can be used all year-round for education and special summer programs.

According to Ed Collins, chief of facilities management and capital projects for Cranston Public Schools, if the Eden Park pilot project is successful, it will be used as a model for the other schools in need of updates. “We are not just thinking about how to retrofit and update our aging schools – we also want our upgrades to enhance the learning environments for teachers and their students,” said Collins.

Built in 1989, the William E. Powers Building in Providence, Rhode Island houses over 800 state employees including the Departments of Administration and Revenue. It is the largest state-owned office building in Rhode Island and provides effective oversight, accountability and support of agency operations across state government.

The costs of heating and cooling the 250,000 square-foot building have grown over the years. This was due to an aging HVAC system which lacked adequate temperature and zone controls, requiring manual adjustments several times a day. This system was inefficient and expensive to manage.

THE SOLUTION

The Rhode Island Office of Energy Resources, in partnership with the Division of Capital Asset Management & Maintenance, hired Siemens to design and install a modern climate control system.

The new Desigo® Climate Control system provides:

• Automatic temperature and schedule controls with multiple zones to provide optimum comfort across the building in all seasons.
• New thermostats which allow individual offices fine tune temperature adjustments.
• Computer dashboard which gives building operators the ability to monitor the system in real time and visualize long term energy use trends.

THE RESULTS

Since installing the new system, the Powers Building has reduced its energy use between 15-27%!

Monthly energy savings may be reinvested into continued building improvements such as lighting upgrades and mechanical equipment.

For information about the state’s clean energy programs and financing opportunities for state agencies, visit www.energy.ri.gov

RIPTA buses are now receiving a little boost from sun!

Most riders won’t notice it from where they are standing, but RIPTA has installed solar panels on all 33 of its 2019 diesel fleet.

While the solar panels are not designed to make the buses go, they help power many of the vehicles’ auxiliary systems, such as ignition, GPS, automated stop announcements and lighting. This in turn reduces strain on the battery and can keep these systems live even when the engine is not running. Over the lifetime of the bus, the solar panels are expected to extend the life of the alternator, a vital engine component necessary for generating electricity. eNow Inc. supplied the 310-watt solar auxiliary panels and panel systems.

The pilot project was funded in part by the Rhode Island Commerce Corporation which contributed a renewable energy grant of $42,800 that covered about two thirds of the cost. Read more about the project here.

This is not RIPTA’s only foray into clean energy. In 2018, it leased three electric buses for testing and plans to purchase several more starting in 2021.
 

Much has changed in our world over the past few months. I want to express my sincerest wishes for your continued health and safety during this difficult time. Today, I would like to offer some perspective on the road ahead and reassure you that our Administration and the Office of Energy Resources remain committed to advancing a cleaner, more affordable, and more reliable energy future.

First, I want to acknowledge the response of our people, communities, and leadership during this unprecedented crisis. Governor Raimondo’s steady leadership and clear, consistent communication during these past weeks have strengthened Rhode Island. Moving forward, we must all play a part to improve (and sustain) public health, as well as support economic recovery wherever possible. Further, our communities will need to work together to support the most vulnerable among us. If the response to date has shown us anything, it is that the Ocean State – its families, businesses, community organizations, and governments – will rise to meet this challenge. 

Recently, Governor Raimondo revealed her plan for reopening Rhode Island, which takes a multi-phased approach for getting our economy back up and running. You may view all the details here: https://www.reopeningri.com. Restarting the economy will not be like flicking on a light switch – rather, it will take place gradually over the months ahead, as we assess and reevaluate public health and safety at each stage.

I want to assure our stakeholders that our focus on Rhode Island’s clean energy future and our commitment to mitigating greenhouse gas emissions have not waned. At OER, we continue to operate on a full-time basis. My team and I have been teleworking and continue to engage, virtually, with stakeholders and industry partners. We remain committed to our agency’s mission to advance a clean, affordable, and reliable energy future for all Rhode Islanders. I want to thank the OER team – and all my State Government colleagues – for their commitment and dedication, particularly during these trying times. 

On the 50th anniversary of Earth Day and in response to a July 2019 executive order by Governor Raimondo, OER released an important report on Heating Sector Transformation in coordination with the Division of Public Utilities & Carriers. Over the past several months, we held three public workshops (two in person, one online), each of which attracted more than 60 participants. Stakeholder dialogue and comment represented important input as we developed our findings, and we are grateful for such incredible public engagement. The Final Heating Sector Transformation report can be viewed at: http://www.energy.ri.gov/HST/. 

We have many other clean energy initiatives now underway to support deployment of nation-leading, cost-effective energy-efficiency investments, as well as to accelerate clean energy portfolio growth. For instance, in collaboration with the Energy Efficiency & Resource Management Council (EERMC) and National Grid, we are hard at work developing a robust and comprehensive plan for cost-effective efficiency programs through 2023. Importantly, we are communicating with Rhode Island’s energy-efficiency vendor community to better understand the impacts of COVID on their businesses and workforce, and working with the utility to ensure we can ramp up service delivery as the immediate crisis dissipates. 

Also, on April 27, we announced the availability of $1 million in Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) funds to facilitate renewable project development on contaminated brownfields. Finally, we are working hard to launch an analytical and stakeholder process to support Governor Raimondo’s call for Rhode Island to meet 100% of its electricity demand with renewables by 2030 – another nation-leading initiative. Details on all of OER’s programs and initiatives are available on our website: http://www.energy.ri.gov/. 

The Ocean State has a load road ahead, but I remain optimistic about our future. As we move toward a new normal, let us not forget that climate change still represents a vital threat to our public health, economy, environment, and way of life. Yet, if COVID has taught us anything, it is that Rhode Island can pull together in times of crisis to meet – and overcome – the most daunting of challenges. It is with that spirit that I look forward to continuing to work with all of you in the months ahead.

Sincerely,

Nicholas Ucci
Acting Commissioner    
Rhode Island Office of Energy Resources

Governor Gina Raimondo appointed Ron Gerwatowski Chairman of the Public Utilities Commission in June 2020. Chairman Gerwatowski has worked in the utility and energy industry for over thirty years. Prior to his appointment, he served as a Senior Regulatory Advisor to the Rhode Island Division of Public Utilities and Carriers. For the past four years, he has been a guest lecturer and instructor in the Energy Fellows Program at the University of Rhode Island.

We asked Chairman Gerwatowski about the PUC and his vision for the next year and beyond.

1. For our readers who are not energy experts, can you describe what the PUC does and what your role is there?

The Public Utilities Commission is a “quasi-judicial” agency.  The utilities we regulate have statutory requirements to obtain approvals from the Commission, such as rate increases, procurement contracts, energy efficiency programs, and other matters. It is the role of the Commission to consider the proposals and issue orders approving or denying the requests based on an evidentiary record, much like a court. When rate changes are proposed, it is the role of the Commission to assure that the rates are just and reasonable, and that the utilities have the resources and are conducting their business in a way that assures safe and reliable service. We also have an important role to assure that the proposals being made by the utilities are consistent with the law and policies adopted by the General Assembly. Because the statutes do not always specify what is permissible and not permissible, the Commission also can fill regulatory gaps and issue directives designed to assure that the actions taken by utilities are in the public interest.

2. Looking ahead to 2021 and beyond, what are the major goals that you would like to accomplish as the new chairman?

3. The coronavirus pandemic has changed life for Rhode Islanders. In what way has the PUC changed in the face of the pandemic? Have your priorities shifted?

The last two questions call for a similar answer, so I will answer them together.

Unlike other agencies with policy-making responsibilities, the Commission in Rhode Island does not typically set policy goals or create initiatives. While we do establish policy standards for reviewing proposals, we largely operate as the last stop before a utility launches any initiative, whether the proposal is small or one with wide-ranging policy implications.  

Having said this, the economic difficulties being experienced in Rhode Island from the pandemic will be a significant point of reference for me as Chairman when the Commission considers the impacts of proposals in 2021. My goal would be to strive for rate stability during a very challenging time. 

As we strive to emerge from this short-term crisis, I recognize that we have some very important long-term objectives to achieve a clean, affordable, and reliable energy future. This presents the biggest challenge for the Commission because these three related objectives of “clean”, “affordable,” and “reliable” do not always neatly align with each other. It almost always requires a careful balancing of competing objectives that is not easy for the general public to appreciate. But that is a part of our job at the Commission.

The Rhode Island Army National Guard (RIARNG) completed the interconnection of its rooftop solar facility on the 56 Troop Command Armory Building at Camp Fogarty in East Greenwich. The $335,000 project is expected to generate $45,700 in annual energy savings. The 207kW solar facility is the largest rooftop solar array on a state facility in Rhode Island and is the ninth solar project contributing towards the state’s Lead by Example Initiative.

As one of the most critical facilities for the RIARNG, the armory houses several units that respond to natural disasters, pandemics, state of emergencies, and other critical events. With the building’s brand new, flat roof and location free from shade, the armory was the perfect location for the RIARNG’s first solar project.

In the last several years, the RIARNG has implemented several energy-related projects, including converting several facilities from oil or propane to natural gas, upgrading equipment to energy efficient systems, and LED lighting retrofit projects. In addition to the 207kw system, RIARNG is also in the process of procuring a 550kw system for their Combined Support Maintenance Shop at Camp Fogarty. The hope of implementing these solar projects is to eventually install storage components that will allow the facilities to run off electricity generated by the panels during power outages and natural disasters, so that RIARNG units can continue their missions without disruption.

Resiliency is important to the RIARNG, and implementing renewable energy will allow the organization to become more resilient. “The installation of a 207 kW-DC solar array on Camp Fogarty Armory made good organizational sense,” said COL Sean McKiernan, CFMO. “The array is the largest rooftop solar array the State of Rhode Island has installed on a state facility to date. As the RIARNG looks to the future, there are plans to construct a 550 kW-DC solar array in the fall of 2020, which will continue to advance the RIARNG closer to the Governor’s goal for a 100% renewable energy future. We all have a responsibility to safeguard our environment and serve as an example for others to follow.”

Providence-based Newport Renewables installed the net-metered solar array with its in-house team of electricians and renewable energy professionals. The company was also behind the three building installation on Capitol Hill administration buildings in 2018.