Quonset firm reaped millions in state energy incentives. Now it backs McKee’s plan to gut them.

“No more silent costs,” Gov. Dan McKee proclaimed Monday at an event in Warwick before signing an executive order to roll back state renewable and energy efficiency programs to save ratepayers money on their monthly bills.

“It’s disappointing to hear from business leaders about high energy costs without acknowledgement of the ways that those businesses have taken advantage of renewable energy and energy efficiency programs,” Emily Koo, Rhode Island program director for Acadia Center, said in a phone interview Monday afternoon.

Koo acknowledged the merits of a more comprehensive review of state incentives for large-scale solar projects. But it was little comfort because the bigger problems — capping energy efficiency spending and slowing the state’s transition to renewable electricity — remain the foundation of McKee’s plan.

“I am still very concerned about energy efficiency and renewables overall being blamed for high energy costs,” Koo said.

Not mentioned by speakers at the event, but top of mind for Koo: the fees charged by  Rhode Island Energy for distributing non-renewable electricity and gas to its customers. While a quarter of monthly bill charges reflect government taxes and policies — including the renewable and energy efficiency programs now under threat — another quarter comes from distribution costs set by the utility provider. This is also how the company makes money.

PPL Corp, Rhode Island Energy’s parent company, faces mounting scrutiny by advocates and lawmakers for its C-suite salaries and payouts to shareholders, partially derived from the profits it makes off operating electric and gas services in Rhode Island, Kentucky and Pennsylvania.

“It’s convenient for the utility that we’re not talking about the utility costs, we’re only talking about energy and taxes,” Koo said. “That’s to their benefit.”

To read the full article from the Rhode Island Current, click here.

Rising energy costs spark debate at R.I. State House

If you’re trying to figure out what issue is about to eat up oxygen at the Rhode Island State House this year, here’s a clue: Governor Dan McKee is doing an affordability road show, the electric company is mounting a public defense, and environmental advocates are gearing up to push back.

“Governor McKee continues to pin the blame of escalating energy prices on the very tools that serve to protect Rhode Island ratepayers from volatile supply costs and rising delivery costs,” Emily Koo, who runs the Rhode Island branch of the advocacy group Acadia Center, said in a statement. “It is a glaring omission to report the costs of clean energy while ignoring all of the cost savings, one of the primary reasons for undertaking the energy transition in the first place.”

To read the full article from the Boston Globe, click here.

Cold weather strains New England electric grid

The New England electric grid strained over the last two weeks as it managed heavy power use during prolonged frigid weather.

Day after day of cold drove consumer demand for electricity sharply upward and put sustained pressure on the power system, according to grid operator ISO-New England.

The situation could have been worse without years of investments in weatherization, insulation and other efficiency programs across New England said Jamie Dickerson, Senior Director at Climate and Clean Energy Programs at the Acadia Center.

Energy efficiency upgrades served about 10% of the electric capacity on Jan. 26, at the beginning of abnormal conditions on the electric system, Dickerson said.

“The hidden resources that are contributing to the grid, chief among which we always like to talk about is energy efficiency, which was definitely playing a critical but somewhat invisible role during these winter peaks,” Dickerson said.

Continuing those programs, replacing baseboard electric heaters with more efficient heat pumps and installing more offshore wind power could help the region reduce and meet overall demand in future cold periods, Dickerson added.

To read the full article from Maine Public, click here.

Gas Pipeline Expansion in Wrentham: Cost, Need, and Energy Future

At the November 4 Select Board meeting, representatives from Enbridge’s Algonquin Gas Transmission subsidiary presented plans for a multi-state, multi-million-dollar pipeline upgrade, a small segment of which passes through West Wrentham, crossing Bellingham’s Washington Street, then Wrentham’s West Street and Spring Street before passing into Rhode Island.

Despite the company’s arguments, the project’s necessity is challenged by clean energy advocates such as Acadia Center, a non-profit public policy research and advocacy organization focused on the clean energy transition in the Northeast with an emphasis on affordability. Joseph LaRusso, Acadia’s Manager of the Clean Grid Program, posed a foundational question: “Does Massachusetts need to expand its natural gas infrastructure?”

In an interview, LaRusso cited data from the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities (DPU) showing that natural gas consumption by residential, commercial, and industrial customers in the state declined from 2019 to 2024. Likewise, Federal Energy Information Administration (EIA) data, which includes gas used for electricity generation, also shows an overall decline for Massachusetts over the same period despite a slight increase in gas use by power plants.

Critically, LaRusso pointed out that between 2019 and 2024, other pipeline expansion projects in the region have already added 362 million cubic feet per day (MMcf/d) of capacity. The RARE project will add another approximately 75 MMcf/d. However, over the same period, residential natural gas prices have continued to rise despite the capacity increase. According to the EIA, since 2019, Massachusetts natural gas prices have risen from $14.72 to $21.80 (per thousand cubic feet) in 2024.

LaRusso attributed sustained high natural gas prices to the United States becoming the world’s leading exporter of LNG, thus tying domestic prices to the global market. The EIA reported that the United States exported 11.9 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d) of liquefied natural gas from eight export facilities in 2024, remaining the world’s leading LNG exporter. In a follow-up email, LaRusso concluded, “New England won’t be able to ‘pipeline’ its way to lower natural gas prices.”

LaRusso also raised a practical concern about demand: even if more gas is made available, new natural gas-fired power plants face a backlog in turbine deliveries of five to seven years, suggesting it will be years after pipeline expansions are completed before generators could fully utilize the added capacity and reap any cost reductions.

To read the full article from Norfolk & Wrentham, click here.

Acadia Center Responds to Severe Clean Energy Rollbacks in Governor McKee’s FY 2027 Budget Proposal (RI)

Press Release

MEDIA CONTACT: 
Emily Koo
Senior Policy Advocate & Rhode Island Program Director
ekoo@acadiacenter.org, 401-276-0600 ext.402

Acadia Center Responds to Severe Clean Energy Rollbacks in Governor McKee’s FY 2027 Budget Proposal (RI)

**Cutting clean energy doesn’t protect ratepayers; it protects an outdated energy system and keeps us dependent on dirty, expensive fossil fuels.

**Renewables and efficiency drive down supply and delivery costs, helping hedge against volatile gas spikes and rein in transmission, distribution costs.

PROVIDENCE – On January 15, 2026, the Administration of Governor Daniel McKee released its proposed Fiscal Year (FY) 2027 budget for the state of Rhode Island, including a sweeping set of rollbacks to foundational clean energy and climate policies that have made Rhode Island a leader among U.S. states historically. Now, Rhode Island is at risk of moving from leader to laggard by succumbing to the faulty, short-sighted logic of energy austerity – cutting critical programs and policies in the name of energy affordability, when in fact those very programs represent some of the most potent tools for the state to take control of its energy future and keep near- and long-term system costs manageable.

“To tackle energy costs, Rhode Island must do everything within its power to bring more local clean energy online and build a stable energy future,” said Emily Koo, Rhode Island Program Director at Acadia Center. “The Governor’s budget proposal locks Rhode Island into an outdated energy system and strips us of our most potent tools to address skyrocketing energy costs.”

At a moment when federal clean energy support is eroding, Rhode Island should be doubling down on the tools still firmly within the state’s control. Instead, Governor McKee’s FY 2027 budget sadly mirrors the short-sighted policies of the Trump administration, cutting renewables and energy efficiency and delivering what would be a major blow to Rhode Island’s clean energy economy. The Governor’s budget proposal disregards a primary reason for the clean energy transition: to shield residents from volatile gas prices and keep at least $2.7 billion per year in fossil fuel spending in the local economy rather than sending it out of state.[i]

Acadia Center will be joining clean energy advocates for a press event in response to Governor McKee’s FY 2027 budget proposal on Wednesday, February 11^th at 3 PM in the Rhode Island State House Library. Members of the media, legislature, and broader public are invited to attend. More information about the event, “Clean Energy is Affordable Energy”, is located at https://actionnetwork.org/events/clean-energy-is-affordable-energy/.

The FY 2027 McKee budget includes the following misguided provisions, which should be opposed and modified by legislators and stakeholders:

• Levies a substantial and punitive “grid access fee” (monthly, in perpetuity) and lowers compensation rates for large renewable energy projects (1 MW or greater), signaling that Rhode Island is closed for clean energy business. The retroactive nature of the changes (on both existing and new net metering systems) would send a severe chilling effect to the industry at large, implying that Rhode Island’s public policies are not predictable and reliable enough to earn the confidence of investors.
  • Solar developers are required to pay for infrastructure upgrades and are financed based on the laws in place at the time of interconnection. Solar industry leaders are concerned this provision will drive RI’s solar industry out of the state.
  • A range of virtual net metering customers, including municipalities, housing authorities, colleges and universities, and hospitals, would lose substantial value in pre-negotiated discounted electricity.
  • There are sound, data-driven ways to reform incentive and compensation structures over time, but this proposal takes a cudgel to foundational programs. Instead, a thorough, methodical, and stakeholder-informed process before the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) should determine how Rhode Island’s renewable policies can and should evolve to best serve ratepayer interests and preserve a stable project investment environment to attract new clean power to the state.
• Delays and weakens Rhode Island’s nation-leading Renewable Energy Standard (RES), prolonging our dependence on dirty, expensive fossil fuels.
  • The rapidly transitioning electricity sector has been a lynchpin to achieving the state’s emission reduction mandates. Unlike the transportation and heating sectors, the electricity sector – driven by the RES and accompanying procurement efforts – has been largely on track.
  • Delaying the 100% RES from 2033 to 2050 will prolong the state’s exposure to costly, volatile natural gas, defer and divert major job creation opportunities, and jeopardize Rhode Island’s ability to meet its economy-wide emission reduction targets.
  • Rhode Island has the ability to achieve the existing RES target, including through joint supply procurements of affordable clean energy. Rhode Island was notably absent from a recent multi-state procurement of 173 MW of new solar generation (CT, ME, MA, VT).[ii]
• Caps Rhode Island’s cost-effective energy efficiency programs at $75 million per year – a stunning 24% below planned 2026 investment levels and 48% below the average of the past five years (both adjusted for inflation).
  • Because of ratepayer-funded energy efficiency, Rhode Island’s electric load is 5% lower than it was in 2005, rather than 15% higher.[iii]
  • In addition to directly lowering energy bills, energy efficiency is one of the most cost-effective ways to reduce energy costs for all consumers, support the local economy, and combat climate change.[iv]
  • In the 2026 program cycle, Acadia Center amplified the compounding costs of decreased investments in energy efficiency, which will lead to major reductions in a wide range of benefits, energy savings, and jobs.^[v] Indeed, the significant drop-off in annual efficiency investments (shown below) during a period of high inflation for the economy suggests that budget cuts to-date contributed to the increasing energy bills borne by ratepayers.
  • The budget’s proposed bond for energy efficiency is neither an assured nor consistent source of funding, nor is it close to the magnitude needed to restore funding levels.

Figure 1. Proposed Cuts Would Continue Damaging Reductions in Energy Efficiency Funding

Figure 2. Energy Efficiency Funding Has Generated Deep Energy Savings for Rhode Island

In addition, the Governor’s budget proposal:

• Slashes support for municipalities, businesses and residents to access financial and technical assistance for clean energy projects such as energy efficiency, solar, or electric vehicles.

Undoing the baseline of the 2025 Climate Strategy before it begins:

The Executive Climate Change Coordinating Council (EC4)’s 2025 Climate Action Strategy is built on a clear baseline of existing policies, including the 100% Renewable Energy Standard (RES) by 2033 and existing state energy efficiency and renewable energy programs. Yet the Governor’s proposed budget would dismantle these very policies – undermining the foundation of the state’s recently released climate strategy before it can be implemented.

Eliminating these core electric-sector strategies would force Rhode Island to rely more heavily on transportation and building emissions reductions – sectors already facing significant uncertainty. Scaling those strategies fast enough to meet the 2030 climate targets in just four years would be extraordinarily difficult, if not impossible. Rather than advancing solutions, the Governor’s budget proposal rolls back the baseline assumptions on which the climate strategy depends.

Clean energy is stable, affordable energy:

In simplest terms, some components of the energy transition will cost money (e.g., electric generation buildout) and some will save money and increase in-region economic activity (e.g., reduced reliance on fossil fuel imports for heating and transportation). It is a glaring omission to report the costs of clean energy while ignoring all of the cost savings, one of the primary reasons for undertaking the energy transition in the first place. Cutting clean energy is not fiscal prudence – it is a costly step backward.

• Renewables in our regional grid – such as offshore wind, large-scale solar, and batteries – lower wholesale electricity prices for everyone.[vi]^,[vii]
• Energy efficiency, behind-the-meter solar, and storage reduce how much power we need during expensive peak hours. Lower overall and peak demand means less exposure to volatile gas prices, less strain on the grid, and fewer costly infrastructure upgrades. This helps reduce the largest (and growing) components of energy bills: supply costs and delivery costs.[viii]^,[ix]
• Delaying Rhode Island’s nation-leading Renewable Energy Standard (RES) will simply prolong and worsen the state’s exposure to and overreliance on natural gas, sending Rhode Islanders’ hard-earned dollars out of the state and regional economy.
• States with more renewables have seen smaller electricity price increases. States that invested early and heavily in wind, solar, and storage have had slower electricity price growth over the past 20 years. States that depend heavily on natural gas for power generation, especially the Northeast, have higher electricity prices.[x]
• Renewable energy costs have fallen dramatically – and gas costs are going up.[xi]
• Solar and storage are among the fastest, most affordable ways to add new power.[xii] As electricity demand rises from electrification and AI-driven growth, Rhode Island cannot afford to sideline the very resources that can be built quickly and locally and will deliver inexpensive energy.

Solutions to tackle energy costs

Cutting renewables and energy efficiency is not the answer to Rhode Island’s rising energy costs. Governor McKee and the General Assembly have a unique opportunity to meet the moment and stand up to Trump, by asserting Rhode Island’s commitment to clean energy. There is much within Rhode Island’s state powers, short of slashing the state’s renewable energy targets, and rolling back renewable and energy efficiency programs.

Reduce dependence on volatile gas supply to help stabilize energy bills

• In addition to fighting the Trump administration’s obstruction of offshore wind, the state of Rhode Island has much within its control and should be doing everything within its power to bring more local clean energy online. A more balanced generation mix will reduce exposure to fuel price volatility and spread risk across more hours, decreasing prices.[xiii]^,[xiv]
• Move away from gas supply expansion as a cost-control strategy. Gas supply has increased in the region, but prices remain high, and are expected to continue increasing, due to global LNG markets.[xv]
• The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) expects gas prices will increase 33% or more in 2026.
• Leverage municipal aggregation to secure more stable and transparent energy pricing than third-party suppliers.
• Invest in statewide virtual power plants to unlock additional demand response that can be called upon to reduce load in times of grid stress, decreasing prices for everyone.
• Coordinate with neighboring states to unlock the most affordable clean energy resources through, for example, joint supply procurements.
• Increase regional and inter-regional transmission capacity so power can move more easily from where it’s generated to where it’s needed – lowering supply costs and improving reliability.

Rein in rising transmission and distribution costs

• Enable state siting boards to add scrutiny and suggest cost-saving measures of transmission upgrades and construction.
• Expand stakeholder participation in regulatory proceedings.
  • Provide intervenor compensation so organizations or impacted individuals can hire experts and challenge Rhode Island Energy’s assumptions
• Limit categories of spending a large investor-owned utility may recover from ratepayers, such as lobbying or charitable spending; cap the allowable increase in annual spending on Infrastructure, Safety, and Reliability proceedings

For more information on energy cost drivers in the northeast, visit Acadia Center’s website here.

About Acadia Center

Acadia Center is a non-profit organization with over 25 years of experience dedicated to advancing transformative clean energy solutions that promote a livable climate and a more equitable economy at the state, regional and community levels primarily in the northeastern U.S. and eastern Canada. Through rigorous data analysis and strategic partnerships, Acadia Center advocates for policies that significantly reduce carbon emissions and address systemic energy challenges. By collaborating with stakeholders, government, business, and communities, Acadia Center pursues ambitious but pragmatic strategies that help to ensure an inclusive and sustainable energy future for all.

[i] US Energy Information Administration | SEDS Database (2023)

[ii] Connecticut and New England State Partners Announce Clean Energy Selections | CT DEEP

[iii] 2025 Annual Report | Rhode Island Energy Efficiency Council

[iv]  2025 Annual Report | Rhode Island Energy Efficiency Council

[v] Energy Efficiency Action Alert | Acadia Center

[vi] Powered Up: Evaluating the Year-Round Benefits of Solar and Storage in Massachusetts | SEIA and Synapse

[vii] Value of Wind in Winter 2024/25 | RENEW and Daymark Energy Advisors

[viii] Efficiency Ahead: How State Energy Efficiency Plans Are Driving Utility Bill Savings and Benefits Across the Northeast | Acadia Center

[ix] Grid Action Report – June Heat Wave | Acadia Center

[x] Renewables Aren’t Behind Energy Cost Increases | Acadia Center

[xi] Renewables Aren’t Behind Energy Cost Increases | Acadia Center

[xii] Report: Renewable Power Generation Costs in 2024 | IRENA

[xiii] Natural Gas Price Volatility in New England | Acadia Center

[xiv] How Do Renewables Lower the Cost of Electricity? | The Climate Reality Project

[xv] Five Ways Natural Gas Is Driving Costs up for Heating Customers | Acadia Center

CT seeks new contracts for nuclear power, renewables

The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection said Friday that it would begin seeking new contracts for carbon-free electricity from large power generators, including the Millstone Nuclear Power Station in Waterford.

“There’s quite a bit of uncertainty around what financing might look like,” for renewable energy projects, said Kate McAuliffe, a senior policy advocate at the Acadia Center, a nonprofit research and advocacy group focused on clean energy in the Northeast.

“I think that makes it even more imperative for the state to move quickly on this,” she added. “Anything that [DEEP] can do to expedite the process, whether that’s in permitting or approvals, to make sure that other mature projects can go online, that’ll be really important. And then the results that we see in response to this will be pretty illustrative of what the industry is going to look like.”

To read the full article from CT Mirror, click here.

Cold weather threatens to take bite out of Healey’s energy savings bid

Frigid temperatures across Massachusetts this past week are bound to hit ratepayers in their wallets — and if the conditions persist, could limit how much savings Bay Staters feel from Gov. Maura Healey’s plan to cut utility bills this winter.

A brutally cold week in New England with temperatures plunging below zero across much of Massachusetts on Friday is driving up energy demand for natural gas and electricity as heating systems work harder and run longer to warm homes.

“This was a national cold snap, which has caused natural gas prices to spike across the nation, and this has pulled everyone’s prices up,” said Kyle Murray, Massachusetts state director for the Acadia Center. “It’s not just a Massachusetts-specific problem for these months. And as a result of that, we’re going to see really high bills, unfortunately, regardless of what the governor does. This relief is certainly welcome, but I think there’s just limited additional tools that they could tap into for additional relief.”

But this season’s cold blast is prompting hand-wringing for both the short- and long-term. Murray at the Acadia Center said the price spikes ratepayers are bracing for is more proof for why “we need to move as quickly as possible to get off of the volatile fossil fuel marketplace and invest heavily in energy efficiency.”

To read the full article from Commonwealth Beacon, click here.

Will R.I.’s pioneering clean energy goal be delayed?

Rhode Island was the first state to commit to a 100% renewable energy goal by 2033, but Gov. Daniel J. McKee’s administration is attempting to revise the state’s renewable and clean energy policies amid rising energy costs and economic pressures.

Emily Koo, senior policy advocate and Rhode Island program director at the clean energy advocacy organization Acadia Center, argues that cutting back on renewable targets will exacerbate the crisis facing residents.

“To tackle energy costs, Rhode Island’s focus should be on building more renewables, not on rolling back our targets,” she said.

Koo said that delaying the state’s renewable energy standard, for example, would increase Rhode Islanders’ dependence on volatile natural gas markets and undermine the state’s economy.

“The state of Rhode Island should be doing everything within its power to bring more local clean energy online and coordinate with neighboring states to unlock the most affordable clean energy resources,” she said.

To read the full article from PBN, click here.

In a Deep Freeze, High Cost of Electricity Becoming Focal Point of Residents’ Anger, Frustration

PROVIDENCE — It’s been three years since state regulators approved historic hikes in electric and natural gas rates, and as residents shiver through a lengthy spell of bone-chilling cold, the anger and frustration is becoming palpable.

“The state of Rhode Island should be doing everything within its power to bring more local clean energy online and coordinate with neighboring states to unlock the most affordable clean energy resources. This will not only help achieve our Renewable Energy Standard and lower energy costs, but it will also support our clean energy economy and grow family-sustaining jobs across the state.” – Emily Koo, Acadia Center Rhode Island program director

According to a study from the Acadia Center, energy efficiency programs in Rhode Island have returned an estimated $5 billion in benefits back to Rhode Islanders over the lifetime of the programs. For every $1 spent in the programs, the state will see $1.97 in benefits.

The program also supports some 11,330 jobs in related industries, and has saved 18.8 years of electricity from the Manchester Street Power Station in Providence. Put another way, energy efficiency programs reduced carbon emissions equivalent to taking 1.65 million cars off the road for one year.

To read the full article from ecoRI, click here.

Governor faces intense backlash amid ‘mind-boggling’ plan to shift millions from state budget: ‘We’re stuck in a cycle of seeing bills spike’

Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee is facing backlash over a proposal to roll back clean energy incentives in the name of affordability — a move critics say could lower bills briefly while locking families into higher, more unstable energy costs long-term.

Emily Koo of the Acadia Center warned that capping energy efficiency funding ignores long-term savings for families. “It’s a serious concern of mine to cap energy efficiency and to imply that cutting energy-efficiency spending will benefit Rhode Islanders,” she said, per the Current.

To read the full article from The Cool Down, click here.