H 7727Renewable Energy

Public Utilities and Carriers - Offshore Wind Procurement Policy Study Commission

Creates a commission to study and plan how Rhode Island will reach its 2030 offshore wind energy goals.

Held for study

Population
Affected

Introduced Feb 12, 2026Committee House Corporations

Plain-English Summary

This bill establishes the "Offshore Wind Procurement Policy Study Commission," a 15-member body tasked with developing a strategy to procure 1,200 megawatts of offshore wind capacity for Rhode Island by 2030. The commission will evaluate procurement methods, pricing structures, workforce development needs, and infrastructure requirements. It brings together legislators, state officials, utility representatives, environmentalists, and labor experts. The commission must report annually starting in October 2027. Additionally, the Office of Energy Resources is mandated to initiate regulations based on the commission's recommendations to ensure the state meets its energy and economic goals.

For younger readers

This bill creates a special team of people called a commission. Their job is to figure out the best way for Rhode Island to get more electricity from wind farms built in the ocean. The state wants to get a lot of clean energy from the wind by the year 2030. This team will look at how to build the wind farms, how to pay for them, and how to train workers to do the jobs. They will write reports to tell the government what to do to make sure there is enough clean power for everyone.

Who & Where It Applies

Impacted groups

RatepayersRhode Island EnergyOffshore wind developersLabor unions and construction workersEnvironmental advocacy organizations

Impacted communities

All

Constitutional & Fiscal Check

None Likely

Estimated cost

Amount unknown

Estimated revenue

None

Bill Analysis

Both viewpoints

For Progressives

Explicitly mandates the inclusion of labor representatives and focuses on high-quality job creation, registered apprenticeships, and local hire pathways, ensuring the green transition supports workers' rights.
Includes a specific seat for a community-based environmental justice organization, ensuring that marginalized communities have a voice in the development of energy policy.
advances the state's climate goals by creating a concrete mechanism and regulatory requirement to procure 1,200 MW of renewable offshore wind energy by 2030.
The timeline for the commission's first meeting (October 2026) and first report (October 2027) is very slow given the urgent need for climate action and the 2030 deadline.
Grants a voting seat to Rhode Island Energy (the utility company), which may allow corporate interests to influence procurement rules to their financial benefit rather than the public good.
Allows the Office of Energy Resources to opt-out of implementing recommendations if they determine it is not in the "public interest," providing a potential loophole to avoid implementing aggressive reform.

For Conservatives

Includes a sunset provision that dissolves the commission on December 31, 2030, preventing the creation of a permanent bureaucratic body.
Mandates that the commission evaluate "cost-effectiveness" and "price stability" to protect ratepayers, ensuring financial prudence is considered alongside environmental goals.
Involves industry experts and utility representatives in the planning process, rather than leaving energy policy solely in the hands of government bureaucrats and environmentalists.
Expands government bureaucracy by creating a new commission and mandating new regulations, interfering with the free market's ability to determine energy solutions.
Empowers an unelected administrative agency (Office of Energy Resources) to create binding rules and regulations based on the commission's findings, bypassing direct legislative voting on the specific rules.
Focuses heavily on union labor requirements and "workforce standards," which could artificially inflate the cost of energy projects and exclude non-union businesses.

Votes

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Full Bill Text

Changes to existing Rhode Island law · 88 additions

SECTION 1. Title 39 of the General Laws entitled "PUBLIC UTILITIES AND CARRIERS" is hereby amended by adding thereto the following chapter: 39-36-1. Purpose. The purpose of this chapter is to establish a study commission to evaluate policies and procurement structures necessary to support the long-term development of offshore wind in Rhode Island, with the goal of procuring one thousand two hundred megawatts (1,200 MW) of offshore wind capacity by the year 2030 in a manner that is cost-effective, reliable, and consistent with the state’s climate and economic development goals, including high-quality job creation and workforce standards. 39-36-2. Establishment of commission.

(a) There is hereby established the offshore wind procurement policy study commission (the “commission”).

(b) The commission shall meet at least bi-monthly and shall sunset on December 31, 2030, unless extended by the general assembly. 39-36-3. Membership. The fifteen (15) member commission shall consist of the following members:

(1) One member of the Rhode Island house of representatives, appointed by the speaker of the house;

(2) One member of the Rhode Island senate, appointed by the president of the senate;

(3) The commissioner of the Rhode Island office of energy resources, or designee;

(4) The chair of the public utilities commission, or designee;

(5) The director of the department of environmental management, or designee;

(6) One representative of Rhode Island Energy, appointed by Rhode Island Energy;

(7) Two (2) representatives of an environmental or climate advocacy organization, appointed by the environment council of Rhode Island;

(8) Two (2) representatives from organized labor having relevant experience in construction and workforce standard implementation, appointed by the president of the Rhode Island AFL-CIO;

(9) One representative of a ratepayers or consumer advocacy organization, appointed by the governor;

(10) One expert in offshore wind development, finance, or supply chain activities, appointed by the governor;

(11) One academic professional in offshore wind energy, appointed by the governor;

(12) One expert in electric grid planning or electric transmission, appointed by the governor; and

(13) One representative of a community-based environmental justice organization, appointed by the governor. 39-36-4. Duties. The commission shall study and make recommendations on:

(1) Offshore wind procurement authority, including whether procurement should remain with Rhode Island Energy or be transferred to the Rhode Island office of energy resources or another state entity;

(2) Procurement evaluation criteria including, but not limited to, price stability, cost containment, reliability, high-quality job creation, workforce development, and environmental and economic benefits;

(3) Multi-state or regional procurement structures and coordination with ISO-NE states;

(4) Contract pricing and flexibility mechanisms that respond to changing market conditions while protecting ratepayers and ensuring project viability;

(5) Identify onshore infrastructure and workforce development needs, including ports, transmission, and manufacturing capacity, and make recommendations to ensure Rhode Island has the grid capacity to support offshore wind energy procurements;

(6) Identify workforce development needs and opportunities including, but not limited to, registered apprenticeship utilization, local hire pathways, and supply-chain workforce needs, and make recommendations to ensure Rhode Island has a strong workforce pipeline to support offshore wind projects and related economic development, while promoting family-sustaining careers in the offshore wind industry; and

(7) A strategic pathway for Rhode Island to procure one thousand two hundred megawatts (1,200 MW) of offshore wind by year 2030. 39-36-5. Reporting. The commission shall submit an annual report to the governor and the general assembly detailing findings, recommendations, and progress toward offshore wind procurement goals. The first report shall be due by October 30, 2027. 39-36-6. Organization and decision-making.

(a) The commission shall elect a chair and vice chair from among its members at its first meeting.

(b) A majority of the members of the commission shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business.

(c) The commission shall take official action, adopt findings, or approve recommendations only when a quorum is present, and only by an affirmative vote of a majority of the members present and voting.

(d) The commission may establish subcommittees or working groups to support its work; provided that, any findings or recommendations of any subcommittee or working group shall be advisory only unless adopted by the commission pursuant to subsection (c) of this section. 39-36-7. Rulemaking based on commission findings.

(a) Within one hundred eighty (180) days of the submission of the commission’s first annual report pursuant to this chapter, the Rhode Island office of energy resources (“OER”) shall initiate a rulemaking or regulations process to implement any recommendations of the commission that require regulatory action.

(b) The rulemaking shall include, at a minimum, the development of rules and regulations establishing any necessary procurement structures, evaluation criteria, labor and workforce standards, and contract pricing mechanisms identified by the commission to support the state’s strategic pathway to procure one thousand two hundred megawatts (1,200 MW) of offshore wind by year 2030.

(c) If OER determines that one or more commission recommendations cannot be implemented through rulemaking, regulation or are not in the public interest, OER shall submit a written explanation to the governor and the general assembly detailing the reasons for such determination. 39-36-8. Commission appointments. The commission seats shall be appointed by September 30, 2026, and the first meeting of the commission shall take place by October 30, 2026.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.