Legislation to cut red tape can make solar more affordable in RI | Opinion

Story Summary

• Rhode Island homeowners face costly delays for solar panel installation due to slow and inconsistent permitting processes.
• The proposed Solar Cost Reduction Act aims to streamline permitting for residential solar systems without changing safety standards.
• This legislation would introduce automated tools and clear timelines, similar to systems used in over 300 other jurisdictions.
• Streamlining the process is expected to lower costs for consumers, save time for building departments, and has no impact on the state budget.

A Rhode Island homeowner who decides to put solar on their roof this spring can end up waiting weeks for the installer to receive a permit on a system that already meets every applicable code. The hardware and the installer are ready to go. The paperwork isn’t.

This is also a rare opportunity to make progress without new spending. The bill has no impact on the state budget and no cost to ratepayers. Simply streamlining the process will reduce costs for consumers, save time for local building departments, and help small businesses and nonprofits lower energy bills by going solar for less.

That combination of benefits is why the bill has drawn such broad support, including from the Greater Newport Chamber of Commerce, the Rhode Island League of Cities and Towns, the Acadia Center, Climate Action Rhode Island, and others. Business, municipal and environmental voices do not often line up behind the same policy unless it is practical, balanced and worth doing.

To read the full op-ed in the Providence Journal, click here.