2025 -- H 5834

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LC001973

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2025

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H O U S E   R E S O L U T I O N

RESPECTFULLY REQUESTING THE PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION, OFFICE OF

ENERGY RESOURCES, AND DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT TO

IDENTIFY ISSUES RELATED TO ELECTRIC RATES AND POTENTIAL RATE REFORM

STRATEGIES

     Introduced By: Representatives Handy, Cortvriend, McNamara, Boylan, Kislak, Potter,
and Fogarty

     Date Introduced: February 28, 2025

     Referred To: House Corporations

     WHEREAS, Rhode Island General Laws § 42-6.2-8 provides that it is the declared policy

of the State that “addressing the impacts on climate change shall be deemed to be within the

powers, duties, and obligations of all state departments, agencies, commissions, councils, and

instrumentalities, including quasi-public agencies, and each shall exercise among its purposes in

the exercise of its existing authority, the purposes set forth in this chapter pertaining to climate

change mitigation, adaptation, and resilience in so far as climate change affects its mission,

duties, responsibilities, projects, or programs”; and

     WHEREAS, Existing electric rates jeopardize Rhode Island’s decarbonization goals as

they pose a barrier to building and transportation electrification; now, therefore be it

     RESOLVED, That this House of Representatives of the State of Rhode Island hereby

respectfully requests the Rhode Island Public Utilities Commission (PUC), Office of Energy

Resources (OER), and Department of Environmental Management (DEM) to undertake a report

with stakeholder participation to identify issues related to current electric rate structure and

potential rate reform strategies to ensure electric rates are not a consistent obstacle to Rhode

Island’s decarbonization goals. This study shall consider:

     (1) Rates that accommodate building and transportation electrification, and new loads,

and minimize or mitigate impact on ratepayers, especially low- and moderate-income ratepayers;

     (2) How the 2025 Climate Action Strategy should consider rate reform in their “transition

away from fossil fuels” section of their report; and

     (3) What alternatives Rhode Island’s electric distribution company should propose to

their current rate design structure in their next distribution rate case; now, therefore be it

     RESOLVED, That this House, in order to support building and transportation

electrification, hereby requests the PUC, OER, and DEM to report whether new electric rate

structures are necessary to meet Act on Climate goals; and be it further

     RESOLVED, That this House hereby also requests the PUC, OER, and DEM to report

their findings and recommendations to the House on or before September 1, 2025; and be it

further

     RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and hereby is authorized and directed to

transmit duly certified copies of this resolution to the Chairman of the Public Utilities

Commission, Commissioner of the Office of Energy Resources, and the Director of the

Department of Environmental Management.

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LC001973

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