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This Month's
Fuel Prices
at a glance
*All m
onthly average costs based on time period
Nov. 21 - Dec. 24.
Check out
to stay up to date on current price trends!
Electricity and Natural Gas rates include delivery and supply service charges (to residential customers) and Gross Earnings Tax.
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Events/Meetings:
Energy Efficiency and Resource Management Council
Thursday, Jan. 14,
3:30pm
1 Capitol Hill
2nd Floor
Conference Room B
Providence, RI 02908
Distributed Generation Board
Tuesday, Jan. 19,
4:00pm
1 Capitol Hill
Second Floor
Conference Room A
Providence, RI 02908
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RI Efficient Buildings Fund FAQ:
What is the Efficient Buildings Fund?
Established under Chapter 46-12.2-4.2 of Rhode Island General Law, the Efficient
Buildings Fund (EBF) is a revolving loan fund administered by RIIB that will finance energy efficiency
and renewable energy projects in municipally owned buildings and school facilities as well as quasigovernmental
agency buildings. The purpose of this program is to provide financial assistance in the
form of municipal lease obligations to local governmental units for deep energy savings projects
where the annual energy savings achieved by the project exceed the annual debt service.
What Types of Projects Are Eligible?
Only projects that have been scored and ranked on the Project Priority List, which is maintained by the
Rhode Island Office of Energy Resources, are eligible for financial assistance through the EBF. All projects
must be located in publicly owned facilities. All projects must be cost-effective, meaning that the savings
can cover the debt service.
Eligible energy efficiency projects include those that consist of multiple energy efficiency measures,
which are defined by the "Rules and Regulations for the Efficient Buildings Fund Project Priority List" as
equipment or technology that reduce energy consumption. Examples include lighting, controls,
mechanical systems, HVAC equipment, motors and drives, LED streetlights, etc.
Eligible renewable energy projects include solar photovoltaic systems, battery back-up systems, and
wind systems 100kW or greater with a direct drive nacelle.
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Gov. Raimondo Challenges State Agencies to Reduce Energy Consumption, Lower Costs
As part of her efforts to reduce the effects of climate change and transition to a cleaner, low-carbon energy economy, Governor Gina M. Raimondo has signed an Executive Order to task state agencies with reducing energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions throughout their facilities.
"Developing a strategy that supports a transition to clean energy is a key ingredient to reducing our state's high energy costs," Raimondo said. "As we continue to grow our clean energy economy, it is important that state agencies lead by example and work together to secure a clean and affordable energy future. This Executive Order empowers our State agencies to implement innovative solutions to reduce our state's carbon footprint, address climate change, and make government more efficient."
The Executive Order directs State agencies to:
- Procure 100 percent of state government electricity consumption from renewable sources by 2025;
- Create a 10 percent reduction in energy consumption by 2019
- Ensure that 25 percent of new cars entering the state fleet will be zero-emissions vehicles by 2025;
- Achieve high performance green building standards, such as LEED certification, International Green Construction Code, or an equivalent;
- Encouraging employees to commute by foot, bike, or public transit, to name a few
The Lead by Example Executive Order builds on the Rhode Island State Energy Plan, which sets bold and ambitious goals and strategies for transforming Rhode Island's energy system.
OER Initiates Discussion on Electric Grid & Systems Integration
Last month, OER brought together stakeholders for a discussion on "systems integration" and key issues related to the modernization of Rhode Island's electric grid. At the meeting, over forty attendees reviewed and provided input on early stage recommendations for addressing opportunities, filling gaps, and gaining efficiencies in existing state processes within the lens of systems integration. Members of the Systems Integration Rhode Island (SIRI) working group-composed of representatives from OER, the Energy Efficiency and Resource Management Council (EERMC), the Distributed Generation Board (DG Board), and National Grid-presented an overview of a jointly-developed draft vision document the purpose of which was to examine and map out systems integration challenges and opportunities in Rhode Island.
The discussion of systems integration is a response to Rhode Island's changing energy system, which is at the cusp of a fundamental long-term transformation. Our electric grid is becoming increasingly more complex as consumers adopt distributed energy resources-energy efficiency, demand response, renewable energy, and energy storage, among others. The evolving nature and growth of these customer resources holds significant implications for the state's electric grid, grid planners and operators, and utility regulators.
OER looks forward to collaborating with partners and stakeholders to begin implementing recommendations from the SIRI vision document. To view materials from last month's meeting and read the SIRI vision document, please visit http://www.energy.ri.gov/siri/.
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Program Spotlight:
Efficient Buildings Fund
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Last month, the Rhode Island Infrastructure Bank (RIIB) and OER announced a partnership with National Grid to provide free energy audits to municipalities, school districts and quasi-public state agencies.
Proposals for the RIIB's Efficient Buildings Fund (EBF), a revolving loan program that provides low-cost capital to public entities for projects that promote energy efficiency, must include the findings of a recent energy audit.
Eligible projects for EBF financing include cost-effective energy efficiency measures and the installation of renewable infrastructure, including solar panels and wind turbines. Municipalities, school districts, and quasi-public agencies are eligible to submit proposals for the EBF.
OER staff will evaluate the proposals and produce a scored list of projects approved for financing. Proposals that are shovel-ready and reduce energy usage by at least 20 percent will receive higher scores. The RIIB will leverage its AAA bond rating to provide financing for EBF-funded projects at low interest rates.
The Office of Energy Resources is now accepting proposals for the EBF. Proposals are due on Friday, January 22. For more information on the EBF please visit http://www.energy.ri.gov/RIEBF/.
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Christmas Day Gasoline Price Comparison:
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