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S 2661Renewable Energy

Public Utilities and Carriers - Offshore Wind Procurement Policy Commission

S2661 creates a commission to plan and recommend regulations for procuring 1,200 megawatts of offshore wind energy by 2030.

Introduced
Population
Affected
75
Email Legislator
Introduced Feb 27, 2026Committee Senate Environment & Agriculture

Plain-English Summary

This legislation establishes the "Offshore Wind Procurement Policy Commission," a 15-member body tasked with evaluating how Rhode Island can best acquire 1,200 megawatts of offshore wind energy by 2030. The commission includes diverse representatives from government, utilities, labor, and environmental groups. They will study pricing, infrastructure needs, and workforce development. Starting in October 2027, the commission must submit annual reports. Following the first report, the Office of Energy Resources is required to create regulations implementing the commission's recommendations to support the state's renewable energy and economic goals.

For younger readers

This bill creates a special team called a commission to help Rhode Island get more electricity from the wind. This team will include people who work for the government, power companies, and nature groups. Their job is to figure out the best way to build wind turbines in the ocean so the state can have plenty of clean energy by the year 2030. They will write reports on their ideas, and the state will use those ideas to make new rules that help create jobs and protect the environment.

Who & Where It Applies

Impacted groups
Electricity ratepayersRhode Island EnergyEnvironmental advocacy groupsConstruction unionsOffshore wind developers
Impacted communities
All

Constitutional & Fiscal Check

None Likely

Estimated cost
Amount unknown
Estimated revenue
None

Bill Analysis

Both viewpoints
For Progressives
  • Establish a concrete pathway to procure 1,200 MW of offshore wind energy, directly addressing the climate crisis and accelerating the state's transition away from fossil fuels.
  • Mandates the inclusion of labor representatives and focuses on high-quality job creation, apprenticeships, and local hiring, ensuring the green energy transition supports workers' rights and unions.
  • Guarantees representation for environmental justice organizations on the commission, ensuring that marginalized communities have a voice in energy development and planning.
  • Creates a study commission rather than mandating immediate procurement, which could delay urgent climate action and infrastructure development needed now.
  • Grants a voting seat to Rhode Island Energy, a private utility corporation, potentially giving profit-driven interests too much influence over public policy and energy prices.
  • Allows the Office of Energy Resources to reject commission recommendations if they deem them "not in the public interest," creating a potential loophole that could block progressive reforms.
For Conservatives
  • Explicitly mandates that procurement strategies must be cost-effective and reliable, which may help protect ratepayers from the volatility and high costs often associated with renewable energy.
  • Includes a hard sunset date for the commission (December 31, 2030), preventing the creation of a permanent, taxpayer-funded bureaucratic entity.
  • Requires a thorough study of grid capacity and infrastructure before projects move forward, ensuring technical feasibility is confirmed before financial commitments are made.
  • Expands government bureaucracy and intervenes in the free market by creating a state commission to direct energy procurement rather than letting the market dictate energy sources.
  • Mandates workforce standards and union involvement, which will likely artificially inflate construction costs and result in higher energy bills for families and businesses.
  • Prioritizes ideological goals such as "environmental justice" and specific climate targets over the primary economic goal of securing the cheapest possible energy for the state.

Votes

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Full Bill Text

Changes to existing Rhode Island law · 86 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 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 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.

(a) 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;

(13) One representative of a community-based environmental justice organization, appointed by the governor. 39-36-4. Duties of the commission. 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 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) Identifying 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) Identifying workforce development needs and opportunities, including 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;

(7) A strategic pathway for Rhode Island to procure one thousand two hundred megawatts (1,200 MW) of offshore wind by 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 may 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 and regulations based on commission findings.

(a) Within one hundred eighty (180) days of the submission of the commission’s first annual report pursuant to § 39-36-5, the Rhode Island office of energy resources (“OER”) shall initiate a rulemaking and regulation process to implement any recommendations of the commission that require regulatory action.

(b) The rulemaking and regulations shall include, at a minimum, the development of 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 2030.

(c) If the office of energy resources 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. Effective date of chapter. Upon the effective date of this chapter, the commission seats shall be appointed by September 30, 2026, and the first meeting of this commission shall take place by October 30, 2026.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.