R.I. Can Meet Act on Climate Goals If State ‘Wisely’ Implements Programs
September 12, 2024
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As the chair of the Rhode Island Executive Climate Change Coordinating Council (EC4), the most frequently asked question I receive about our climate work is “Will Rhode Island meet the mandates in the Act on Climate?” Great question, right?
Rhode Island greenhouse gas reduction mandates were set through the historic passage of the R.I. Act on Climate, signed by Gov. Dan McKee in 2021. The act requires decreasing levels of greenhouse gas emissions reaching net zero by 2050. We met the first mandate, a 10% reduction from a 1990 baseline, by 2020. Things get tougher as we strive to achieve a 45% reduction by 2030, an 80% reduction by 2040, and a 100% reduction by 2050. Implementation of the Act on Climate is led by the EC4, which is made up of agency directors from 13 departments in state government.
Greenhouse gas emissions in Rhode Island come from three major sources: transportation, heating and cooling of buildings, and the generation of electricity. As a result of significant investments, we have major efforts going on in all three sectors.
In the transportation sector, agencies are working to ensure that we have a robust supply of electric vehicles for purchase and the rebates that make them cost competitive. We are installing more electric vehicle chargers so that all Rhode Islanders are comfortable that they will have convenient choices to charge their cars. Our PowerUp RI program is providing rebates for installation of home electric vehicle charging. RIPTA has electrified its busiest bus route, and we are supporting our school districts to convert aging diesel school buses to efficient electric models that will greatly improve air quality.
In the heating and cooling sector, we are supporting major efforts in building efficiency through weatherization and electrification of heating systems. OER’s Clean Heat RI program provides incentives for the installation of efficient electric heat pumps. Rhode Island and a coalition of other New England states received the second-largest federal grant in the nation to accelerate the transition by working with vendors and installers of heat pumps to advance the goals of electrifying homes and other buildings.
In the power sector, Rhode Island continues to work with 13 other states on regional approaches to reduce emissions from power plants. The cap-and-invest approach has enabled us to invest millions of dollars into energy efficiency and rate relief, decreasing the need for additional energy infrastructure. Additionally, the state has actively supported the development of renewable energy. Our efforts on offshore wind have been careful and cognizant of the needs and impacts on the commercial fishing industry while providing new exciting and well-paid jobs for workers.
This month, Rhode Island and Massachusetts joined forces to drive the largest offshore wind procurement in New England’s history. The energy office has received significant federal funding to promote rooftop solar and we continue to work with solar energy developers to take advantage of this abundant renewable resource.
Returning to the important question of “Will Rhode Island meet the mandates in the law?” I am optimistic that we will if we wisely implement the programs we have started and use federal and state funding effectively. The EC4 will be launching an aggressive public engagement effort this fall to support the development of the 2025 Climate Action Strategy, our next requirement under the Act on Climate. I encourage everyone to participate in the development of our climate plan over the next year.
We need your input and perspective to make sure this is done in the best way possible, economically, and environmentally. For updates on the plan and to provide your comments, visit www.climatechange.ri.gov.
Terry Gray is the director of the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management and chair of the Rhode Island Executive Climate Change Coordinating Council (EC4).
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While I appreciate the need for Director Gray to pander to his bosses that hold the purse strings of his agency, I think Mr. Grays’ comments are somewhat naive.
The State has rarely met any of its program goals on time. Of course, all state bureaucrats will blame lack of funding. Just look at the terrible job the state has done with installing charging stations promised by the previous administration. I worked at DCAMM, the agency responsible for installing stations on state owned properties. Failure.
Not to mention Mr Gray’s naivete about EV’s, the original pet of the Green Industry. Has the Director forgotten what powers these vehicles. Yes, those same polluting power plants he is regulating.
And now, the new pet (Windfarms) of the industry has become the darling of RI. Not only are we going to save the planet, but will create thousands of new jobs! The dream of every politician. What could go wrong?
Oh, the people of Block Island got paid off for destroying, at a minimum, the views from the Southeast Light. Impacts to the ocean and its critters? We’ll see is the attitude. But to assuage scientists, let’s throw them a bunch of money to study it.
Have we numbed ourselves to the avaricious nature of humankind? We are not fighting to save the earth, we have disguised our lust for “more,” by labeling the new world industry as “green,” when there’s nothing much green about it, except the money being made.
Fisherman, who are in a dying industry, grabbed the gold ring of cash and “government support.” Temporary.
Of course, Director Gray is grabbing onto the coattails of Secretary Kerry’s visit. Everybody feels good about all this so called Green progress. Is it really?
How about some attention to the unmitigated poisoning of our land and water by toxic chemicals? How about some love for restoration of beach access? Maybe even a buyback of beachfront private properties? Of course. Director Gray would have to step on the toes of the wealthy connected class. We already know that outcome.
Much of what Mr. Gray may be relying on (if not just chiming in to belong) in the chronic cry for the imperiled earth are reports he’s probably never read, but saw that CNN was touting them. Reports based on sketchy climate models. Someone said that all models are wrong, but some are useful.
No doubt the climate is warming, and that fossil fuel combustion has added to greenhouse gasses, but should we be dedicating all these resources to questionable “cleaner” technologies, when we can’t even “see” the truth?
Remember the path to he’ll is paved with good intentions.
Director Gray is a decent guy but his transportation comment is disappointing. He didn’t suggest restoring DEM’s bicycle path expansion program even as bike travel, and walking, is by far the closest to zero-emission travel. He mentioned RIPTA only in connection with electric buses, although that technology is still an expensive work in progress, and he did not mention electrifying the rail service to Boston, even as electric rail is a long proven technology that makes the travel faster, more reliable, and quieter as well as cleaner. And, the needed catenary wires (that Amtrak uses) are mostly already in place! Amtrak itself is not mentioned either, even as its electric trains are so energy efficient, for example, its carbon emissions are reportedly about 90% lower than flying for Northeast Corridor travel. And he doesn’t mention better transit (as called for in state plans) to both replace some car travel and to help steer needed housing development to energy-efficient compact walkable neighborhoods instead of the sprawl that RIDOT’s massive expressway expansions encourages.
In effect, the Director’s entire transportation effort is electric motor vehicles. We do need them to reduce climate emissions and to improve air quality in congested areas. But they do make demands on the grid (and for mining for metals, albeit elsewhere) while doing nothing good about congestion, land use, and the need for pavement. Being heavier, they are more dangerous for other road users, cause more tire pollution, more wear and tear on the roads and bridges. I hope the environment community can persuade him to do more than just promote EVs to meet environmental goals in transportation.
What Mr. Gray fails to mention is mitigation, carbon sequestration and storage by natural ecosystems, especially mature forests where carbon is retained in growing trees and soils. (More than 50% of carbon stored in forests is in the soil.) But it’s difficult for Mr. Gray to discuss the potential for carbon storage in forests when his Department is actively seeking to cut as much of Rhode Island’s forest as possible under the absurd reasoning that selective logging can help build a forest’s resiliency to climate change, to create early successional habitat so hunters can harvest more game animals. Most of these projects are being conducted on public lands, state-owned properties and NGO properties (TNC reserves, Audubon refuges, land trust properties) that were protected with state open space funds. It is time for the State to understand that the best way to address both the climate and biodiversity crisis is to start by managing public lands appropriately. Leaving forests standing provides carbon benefits and biodiversity preservation for all of the state’s citizens. In comparison, cutting down trees so some hunter can get his daily bag limit of woodcock is simply an injustice.
Speaking of Block Island, the RIPUC let Block Island Power Co institute a very regressive customer generation policy on the pretext that solar was unfair to non solar customers and negatively impacting the bottom line. In the mean time, they hooked up with a misguided benefactor who bought them all kinds of toys, and subsidized a unnecessary and expensive interconnection that dropped customer earnings from their investment by over 50%. So Mr. Governor, State AG, RIPUC, what’s up. Jeff Wright, President of BIPCo says that the rest of RI is adopting BIPCo’s policy. Is this really making any sense?