PROVIDENCE — Offshore wind projects have faced blustery headwinds this year, but lawmakers and environmental groups are pushing the state to double down on the renewable energy resource instead of giving up.

A bill (H5816) introduced this year by Rep. Art Handy, D-Cranston, would greatly expand Rhode Island’s procurement of renewable energy generated by offshore wind. Handy’s bill would require the state to enter into contracts for another 1,200 megawatts of offshore wind by March 30, 2029.

If approved by lawmakers, the procurement would increase the state’s current renewable energy portfolio, and more than double the expected power supply from existing offshore wind projects Revolution Wind and South Coast Wind.

The bill is backed by environmental groups including the Green Energy Consumers Alliance (GECA), Climate Jobs Rhode Island, the Conservation Law Foundation (CLF), Climate Action Rhode Island (CARI), and the National Wildlife Federation.

“Without offshore wind, Rhode Island will not only miss its climate goals, but also miss all the other benefits that offshore wind brings,” said Amanda Barker, renewable energy program coordinator for GECA.

For environmental advocates, expanding the state’s offshore wind portfolio is the best policy to meet the mandates of the 2021 Act on Climate law, which requires a 45% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by the end of this decade, compared to the 1990 baseline used in the legislation.

Electricity consumption comprises a big chunk of those emissions, according to the latest greenhouse gas emissions inventory released by the state Department of Environmental Management: 18.6% of all emissions produced in Rhode Island stem from electricity consumption, and the simplest way to “clean” those emissions is by relying more on renewable energy sources.

Securing more renewable energy would also be key in Rhode Island’s decarbonization transition. A key part of that transition is having homes and businesses making the switch to electric heat and vehicles, instead of relying on fossil fuels to power cars, stoves, and heat homes.

Transportation accounts for over a third of all greenhouse gas emissions, and homes and businesses account for another 29%, according to DEM’s inventory. Switching to electric sources would reduce those emissions drastically.

Labor groups also backed Handy’s bill during a recent hearing at the Statehouse. Build RI, a coalition of different contractor groups and labor unions, and members of the Rhode Island AFL-CIO spoke in favor of the expanded procurement, calling it a “pro-worker approach to the Act on Climate.”

“This bill will create a reliable pipeline of work for our skilled tradespeople,” said Erica Hammond, legislative director of RI AFL-CIO.

Energy has been a hot topic on Smith Hill this year, as Rhode Islanders across the state faced high electric and gas utility bills for the third winter in a row. Handy’s bill is just one of several dozen under consideration in the General Assembly as lawmakers, who have received many irate calls from constituents over energy costs, scramble to find legislative solutions to the state’s costly energy crisis.

It’s also been an equally tough year for the offshore wind industry. In January, shortly after assuming office, President Donald Trump moved to rescind and hinder as much offshore wind development as he could up and down the Eastern Seaboard. Projects closer to Rhode Island’s waters are likely to be safer, but projects off the coast of New York, such as Empire Wind and others, are likely in doubt as the new administration attempts to roll back some of the progress of the past four years.

What does it mean for the Ocean State? The Revolution Wind project, which has long had its state and federal permits in hand and began construction last year, is among the safest in the nation, except for the already built and functioning Block Island Wind Farm.

The Revolution Wind project is expected to supply 704 megawatts (MW) to Rhode Island upon operation, increasing the state’s renewable energy portfolio by nearly a third, and making offshore wind the biggest contributor to the portfolio.

But subsequent offshore wind developments haven’t gone as smoothly in the state. Rhode Island joined with Massachusetts and Connecticut last year to request proposals for up to 3,600 MW of offshore wind, with Rhode Island’s share up to 1,200. Massachusetts and Rhode Island signed an agreement with SouthCoast Wind, in the same lease area south of Martha’s Vineyard as Revolution Wind, but Rhode Island’s share was only 200 MW, much lower than the state’s target.

Last year’s multistate procurement was actually the state’s second major request for proposal (RFP) for offshore wind. A previous procurement in 2023 resulted in only a single bid from Ørsted, the offshore wind developer of the proposed Revolution Wind 2 project, which was ultimately turned down due to being cost prohibitive.

The state Office of Energy Resources, which typically tag-teams offshore wind procurements with Rhode Island Energy, is keeping quiet about the future of offshore wind for Rhode Island. A spokesperson for the office declined to comment on Handy’s expanded procurement legislation and future offshore wind capacity.

Meanwhile, SouthCoast Wind has had a rocky development phase. Despite being chosen to supply 200 MW to Rhode Island as part of the multistate procurement process, state officials and SouthCoast Wind have yet to sign off on a contract.

Last week Rhode Island Energy announced it was extending contract negotiations with SouthCoast Wind to June 30, with a regulatory filing date to follow on Aug. 25, keeping the new schedule aligned with negotiations the wind developer is having with Massachusetts’ utility companies. The final contracts, once signed, will set the price per kilowatt-hour for a term of 30 years.

It’s the third extension between the parties since Rhode Island announced it was awarding its share of the RFP to SouthCoast Wind, and for some, likely not surprising. The project has already reneged on contracts in the past, citing cost overruns from higher-than-expected interest rates and inflation hitting offshore wind supply chains. Trump’s moves to kibosh the offshore wind industry in the United States presents additional uncertainty, although SouthCoast Wind got its last big federal permit before the new administration took office.

“SouthCoast Wind continues to support the deadline extension for contract execution. The multistate negotiations have been complex and ambitious; now they must also tackle uncertainty presented by federal policy,” said Rebecca Ullman, director of external affairs for SouthCoast Wind. “SouthCoast Wind is grateful for the continued collaboration with our Massachusetts and Rhode Island partners.”

H5816 was held for further study.