2025 -- H 6201

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LC002548

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2025

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO PUBLIC UTILITIES AND CARRIERS -- RENEWABLE ENERGY

STANDARD

     

     Introduced By: Representatives Chippendale, J. Brien, Casey, Solomon, Paplauskas,
Quattrocchi, Santucci, Newberry, Place, and Fascia

     Date Introduced: April 09, 2025

     Referred To: House Corporations

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

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     SECTION 1. Section 39-26-5 of the General Laws in Chapter 39-26 entitled "Renewable

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Energy Standard" is hereby amended to read as follows:

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     39-26-5. Renewable energy resources.

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     (a) Renewable energy resources are:

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     (1) Direct solar radiation;

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     (2) The wind;

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     (3) Movement or the latent heat of the ocean;

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     (4) The heat of the earth;

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     (5) Small hydro facilities;

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     (6) Biomass facilities using eligible biomass fuels and maintaining compliance with current

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air permits; eligible biomass fuels may be co-fired with fossil fuels, provided that only the

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renewable energy fraction of production from multi-fuel facilities shall be considered eligible;

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     (7) Fuel cells using the renewable resources referenced above in this section; and

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     (8) Waste-to-energy combustion of any sort or manner, including, without limitation, high-

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heat medical waste processing facilities, shall in no instance be considered eligible, except for fuels

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identified in ยง 39-26-2(6).; and

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     (9) Nuclear energy sources.

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     (b) For the purposes of the regulations promulgated under this chapter, eligible renewable

 

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energy resources are generation units in the NEPOOL control area using renewable energy

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resources as defined in this section.

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     (c) A generation unit located in an adjacent control area outside of the NEPOOL may

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qualify as an eligible renewable energy resource, but the associated generation attributes shall be

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applied to the renewable energy standard only to the extent that the energy produced by the

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generation unit is actually delivered into NEPOOL for consumption by New England customers.

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The delivery of the energy from the generation unit into NEPOOL must be generated by:

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     (1) A unit-specific bilateral contract for the sale and delivery of such energy into NEPOOL;

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and

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     (2) Confirmation from ISO-New England that the renewable energy was actually settled in

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the NEPOOL system; and

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     (3) Confirmation through the North American Reliability Council tagging system that the

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import of the energy into NEPOOL actually occurred; or

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     (4) Any such other requirements as the commission deems appropriate.

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     (d) NE-GIS certificates associated with energy production from off-grid generation and

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customer-sited generation facilities certified by the commission as eligible renewable energy

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resources may also be used to demonstrate compliance, provided that the facilities are physically

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located in Rhode Island.

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     SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.

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LC002548

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EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N   A C T

RELATING TO PUBLIC UTILITIES AND CARRIERS -- RENEWABLE ENERGY

STANDARD

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     This act would add nuclear energy sources to the list of renewable energy resources.

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     This act would take effect upon passage.

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LC002548

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