loading…
loading…
loading…
(a) Starting in compliance year 2007, all obligated entities shall obtain at least three percent
(3%) of the electricity they sell at retail to Rhode Island end-use customers, adjusted for electric
line losses, from eligible renewable energy resources, escalating, according to the following
schedule:
(1) At least three percent (3%) of retail electricity sales in compliance year 2007;
(2) An additional one-half of one percent (0.5%) of retail electricity sales in each of the
following compliance years 2008, 2009, 2010;
(3) An additional one percent (1%) of retail electricity sales in each of the following
compliance years 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, provided that the commission has determined the
adequacy, or potential adequacy, of renewable energy supplies to meet these percentage
requirements;
(4) There shall be no increase to the renewable energy standard for compliance year 2015,
and the incremental increases shall resume in the subsequent compliance years as provided in
subsections (a)(5) through (a)(12) of this section;
(4) (5) An additional one and one-half percent (1.5%) of retail electricity sales in each of
31 the following compliance years 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022;
32 (5) (6) [Deleted by P.L. 2016, ch. 144, § 1 and P.L. 2016, ch. 155, § 1.]
(6) (7) An additional four percent (4%) of retail electricity sales in 2023;
(7) (8) An additional five percent (5%) of retail electricity sales in 2024;
(8) (9) An additional six percent (6%) of retail electricity sales in 2025;
(9) (10) An additional seven percent (7%) of retail electricity sales in 2026 and 2027;
(10) (11) An additional seven and one-half percent (7.5%) of retail electricity sales in 2028;
(11) (12) An additional eight percent (8%) of retail electricity sales in 2029;
(12) (13) An additional eight and one-half percent (8.5%) of retail electricity sales in 2030;
(13) (14) An additional nine percent (9%) of retail electricity sales in 2031; and
(14) (15) An additional nine and one-half percent (9.5%) of retail electricity sales in 2032
and 2033 to achieve the goal that one hundred percent (100%) of Rhode Island’s retail electricity
demand sales is from renewable energy and zero-emission resources by 2033 and each year
thereafter.
(b) For each obligated entity and in each compliance year, the amount of retail electricity
sales used to meet obligations under this statute that are derived from existing renewable energy
and zero-emission resources shall not exceed two percent (2%) of total retail electricity sales
through compliance year 2026. For compliance year 2027, for each obligated entity the amount of
retail electricity sales used to meet obligations under this statute that are derived from existing
renewable energy resources and zero-emission resources shall not exceed fourteen percent (14%)
of total retail sales and an additional one percent (1% ) of total retail electricity sales for each of
compliance years, 2028, 2029, 2030, 2031, 2032, and for compliance year 2033 and each
compliance year thereafter, shall not exceed twenty percent (20%) .
(c) The minimum renewable energy percentages set forth in subsection (a) shall be met for
each electrical energy product offered to end-use customers, in a manner that ensures that the
amount of renewable energy of end-use customers voluntarily purchasing renewable energy is not
counted toward meeting such percentages. Notwithstanding the foregoing, municipalities engaged
in aggregation pursuant to § 39-3-1.2 may include in their aggregation plan terms that would allow
voluntary renewable energy products to be counted toward meeting such percentages. In 2024, the
commission, with input from the office of energy resources, division of public utilities and carriers,
obligated entities, other market participants, and the public, shall assess the impact of allowing
voluntary renewable energy purchases to be counted toward meeting the annual percentages. The
commission shall submit a report of its findings and recommendations to the governor, speaker of
the house, and senate president no later than September 1, 2024.
(d) To the extent consistent with the requirements of this chapter, compliance with the
renewable energy standard may be demonstrated through procurement of NE-GIS certificates
relating to generating units certified by the commission as using eligible renewable energy sources
and zero-emission resources , as evidenced by reports issued by the NE-GIS administrator.
Procurement of NE-GIS certificates from off-grid and customer-sited generation facilities, verified
by the commission as eligible renewable energy resources and zero-emission resources , may also
be used to demonstrate compliance. With the exception of contracts for generation supply entered
into prior to 2002, initial title to NE-GIS certificates from off-grid and customer-sited generation
facilities and from all other eligible renewable energy and zero-emission resources, shall accrue to
the owner of such a generation facility, unless such title has been explicitly deemed transferred
pursuant to contract or regulatory order.
(e) In lieu of providing NE-GIS certificates pursuant to subsection (d) of this section, an
obligated entity may also discharge all or any portion of its compliance obligations by making an
alternative compliance payment to the renewable energy development fund established pursuant to
(f) Retail electricity sales pursuant to a nonregulated power producer’s supply contract that
was executed prior to July 1, 2022, shall be required to obtain an additional one and one-half percent
(1.5%) of retail electricity sales each year and are exempted from the requirements of subsections
(a)(6) through (a)(14) of this section until the end date of the term of the nonregulated power
producer’s supply contract.