Governor Dan McKee, Pascoag Utility District (PUD) and the Rhode Island Office of Energy Resources (OER) announced the official opening of Rhode Island’s first utility scale battery storage facility this month. The PUD installed this battery storage system to provide increased reliability for its 5,000 customers during peak electricity demand days.

Renewable energy relies on intermittent technology, which means that it is limited to generating power when the sun is shining and the wind is blowing. Battery storage makes it possible to save the energy generated by renewable energy and use it during peak electricity demand times, such as during hot days of the summer or when commuters return home at night to power on their appliances and other electronics.

PUD received a grant of $250,000 from OER. The PUD substation work was funded by an $1.4 million loan from the Rhode Island Infrastructure Bank approved by OER through the state’s Efficient Building Fund program. By installing the battery system, PUD was able to avoid paying up to $12 million in grid infrastructure upgrades. Read more...

Watch a video profile of the project below.

Governor Dan McKee and the Office of Energy Resources (OER) have announced a proposal to use $3.8 million in funding from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) fund to provide direct rate relief to low-income Rhode Island residents who are most at risk of not being able to afford their electricity bills this winter. This funding is expected to help approximately 39,000 low-income customers with Rhode Island Energy billing accounts during the winter electricity rates period from October through March.

On behalf of the Governor, OER is proposing the RGGI Allocation Plan draft for a 30-day public comment period that will provide direct rate relief to low-income customers and maintain ongoing support for prior RGGI funded efforts on climate change, renewables and energy efficiency to advance the state’s goals with Act on Climate.

OER will be hosting two public hearings on the drafted RGGI Allocation Plan on September 6 and 8. Written comments may be submitted as well. Information about the drafted RGGI Allocation Plan and public hearings may be found at the Office of Energy Resources website: https://energy.ri.gov/resources/programs-incentives/regional-greenhouse-gas-initiative-rggi. 

The High-Efficiency Heat Pump Program (HHPP) will provide financial incentives for highly efficient electric heat pumps to both residential and commercial customers. A public comment period for the HHPP is open until August 31.

The adoption of electric heat will assist Rhode Island in the fight against climate change and to achieve the mandatory greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) reduction goals outlined in the 2021 Act on Climate. The Act on Climate requires a 45 percent reduction in the State’s GHG emissions by 2030, leading to net-zero GHG emissions by 2050. Currently, the thermal sector – technology that converts power into heating or cooling – accounts for one-third of statewide greenhouse gas emissions.

At the conclusion of the public comment period, OER will review all comments received from the public for consideration in the final HHPP incentive program design. HHPP is expected to become available to the public in the winter of 2023. Comments may be submitted at https://energy.ri.gov/heating-cooling/high-efficiency-heat-pump-program.

The seventh annual Plugged into Energy Research lecture series will feature three events and eight expert speakers from across the United States discussing energy issues of local, regional, and national importance. Lectures are free and open to the public. Registration is required.

Fall 2022 Schedule

• September 15 from 6:00-7:30p.m.: It’s Electric! Rhode Island’s New Transportation System
• October 6 from 6:00-7:30p.m.: Stopping the Biggest Oil Spill You’ve Never Heard Of: An evening with URI alumnus, Pat McShane ’83 and Tim Couvillion
• October 20 from 6:00-7:30p.m.: Ensuring Electric Grid Reliability: Preparing for Increased Demand from the Highway to Home Heating

Expert speakers include state policymakers, research faculty, energy and climate advocates and energy fellows from the RI Department of Transportation, the RI Public Transit Authority, Brown University, the University of Rhode Island who are working to create a more resilient energy economy in Rhode Island.

All the lectures will be held at the URI Higgins Welcome Center, Upper College Road, Kingston, RI. 

The timeline for Round 13 of the Efficient Buildings Fund (EBF) is now available on the OER website. The EBF provides low interest loans to governmental entities for energy efficiency and renewable energy projects. 

The application period will begin September 19th. To apply, applicants must complete an application along with an energy audit of the facility. All applications will be scored and ranked on a public Project Priority List, with the top scoring applicants being prioritized to receive available funding.

All applications will be due October 7th. To learn more about the EBF and its application requirements, please visit OER’s website https://energy.ri.gov/renewable-energy/wind/rhode-island-efficient-buildings-fund-riebf. 

We are proud to recognize one of the winners of the 2022 Lead by Example Clean Energy Awards – Department of Corrections (DOC).

With 1.3 million square feet of facilities in Cranston at the Pastore Government Center, the DOC is home to some of the oldest buildings in the state. DOC has 11 buildings, including its Maximum-Security facility, which was built in 1878. 

DOC has an average of 2,300 inmates and aims to maintain a safe environment for them as well as the employees – adequate lighting is a big factor in safety. The agency was using older fluorescent lights throughout its facilities and was overdue for an upgrade to energy efficient LED lights.

Read the full story here.