100 Percent Renewable Electricity by 2030

Reducing economy-wide greenhouse gas emissions across the state’s electric, heating, and transportation sectors is integral to climate change mitigation and achieving long-term greenhouse gas reduction targets consistent with the Resilient Rhode Island Act. By accelerating our adoption of renewable electricity, Rhode Island can advance this goal, while generating new investment and job growth opportunities across the green economy.

In January 2020, Executive Order 20-01 set a first-in-the-nation goal to meet 100% of Rhode Island’s electricity demand with renewable energy by 2030.

In 2020, the Rhode Island Office of Energy Resources (OER) conducted an economic and energy market analysis, and developed policy and programmatic pathways, to meet this goal. Our report - The Road to 100% Renewable Electricity by 2030 in Rhode Island- provides economic analysis of the key factors that will guide Rhode Island in the coming years as the state accelerates its adoption of carbon-free renewable resources.

The study considers available renewable energy technologies, including their feasibility, scalability, costs, generation patterns, market value, and local economic and employment impacts, as well as barriers that may hamper or slow their implementation. It identifies ways to leverage competition and market information to ensure reasonable ratepayer costs and manage energy price volatility, while taking advantage of economic development opportunities within the state. Utilizing this information, OER developed specific policy, programmatic, planning and equity-based actions that will support achieving the 100% renewable electricity goal.

Technical Support Document

This Technical Support Document accompanies the report titled “The Road to 100% Renewable Electricity by 2030 in Rhode Island.” The goal of this document is to provide additional detail on the analyses supporting the Report, including an overview of the analytic methodology and assumptions used

Public Workshop #3, December 3, 2020

During the third and final workshop, representatives from Brattle provided their revised analysis of ratepayer cost impact, economic impact, and mixed portfolios. They concluded with recommendations for policy, planning and equity. The team took several audience polls and answered questions.

Public Workshop #2, September 29, 2020

During this second workshop, representatives from Brattle provided an updated 2030 outlook on load and renewable generation requirements, discussed renewable resource options and costs, covered New England market modeling, conducted a renewable portfolio analysis, and outlined next steps for developing policy recommendations. The team tool several audience polls and answered questions.

Public Workshop #1, July 9, 2020

During this first workshop, representatives from Brattle provided an introduction to the study, including some key background on our electric grid, guiding principles and stakeholder comments, and preliminary thinking about the scale of renewable energy resources needed to meet the goal.