Rhode Island General Assembly

Office of the House Minority Caucus

Leader Chippendale calls for annual Public Utilities Commission report analyzing Rhode Island’s electric grid capacity

State House, Providence – In an effort to assist Rhode Island lawmakers in conservation and energy policy decisions, House Minority Leader Michael Chippendale submitted legislation to require an annual study of the state’s electric load and capacity by the Rhode Island Public Utilities Commission (PUC).

“The ambitious targets set by the 2021 Climate Act are turning out to be not only unreachable, but also excessively costly for our state's ratepayers,” said Leader Chippendale. “It is important that conservation and energy legislative decisions are not made in a vacuum. It is clear that data produced by the professionals at the RI PUC must be factored into all energy mandates going forward. My bill directs the PUC to produce an annual report that analyzes our electric grid and its ability/capacity to handle the electric load needs to power cars, buildings, and the heating of homes within the state. It is with timely data and metrics that we can make sound energy decisions on behalf of RI residents and businesses.”