Rhode Island weighs bills to quash solar incentives, net-metering

Rhode Island is considering legislation to repeal the state’s two compensation programs for renewable energy.

House Bill 6202 would place a moratorium on net metering contracts, subsidies for heat pumps, and long-term contracts for the purchasing of solar or wind energy. House Bill 6203 would repeal the Renewable Energy Growth Program, which compensates for the development of distributed generation projects under long-term tariffs at fixed prices, paying renewable energy generators cash for their electricity production.

“Blaming renewable for rising energy costs is also misguided, when the volatility of our supply costs is driven in large part by the region’s overreliance on natural gas and other fossil fuels,” Acadia Center said in its testimony. Along with the volatility of global gas markets, Acadia said, “the price of our gas and our electricity can also be impacted by extreme temperatures, supply constraints, and demand at certain times of the day and year.”

Acadia said adding new sources of both small and large clean energy can help diversify the state’s supply and insulate the Northeast from swings in fossil fuel prices.

“Rhode Island leaders can and should take tangible steps to tackle the state’s rising energy burden: pursing oversight of utility spending, introducing support for meaningful participation, and ensuring that our most vulnerable have access to affordable energy,” Acadia said.

To read the full article from PV Magazine, click here.