On January 17, 2020, Governor Gina Raimondo signed Executive Order 20-01, requiring Rhode Island “to meet 100% of the state’s electricity demand with renewable energy resources by 2030.” The Order builds on previous renewable energy policies and decarbonization goals, such as the Resilient Rhode Island Act, which requires greenhouse gas reductions of 80% below 1990 levels by 2050. Governor Rainmondo cited Rhode Island’s previous success with these policies when establishing the new 2030 target, and when the goal is met, “Rhode Island will be the first state in America to be powered by 100% renewable electricity.”
The Rhode Island Office of Energy Resources will be the primary agency responsible for implementation, with support from the Division of Public Utilities and Carriers and the Department of Environmental Management. The Executive Order states that the Office of Energy Resources “shall conduct economic and energy market analysis and develop viable policy and programmatic pathways” and submit a “specific and implementable action plan to achieve this goal, due by December 31, 2020.”