Rhode Island 2023 Regular Session

Rhode Island Senate Bill S0499 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

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5	5	2023 -- S 0499
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7	7	LC001684
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9	9	S TATE OF RHODE IS LAND
10	10	IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
11	11	JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2023
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14	14	A N A C T
15	15	RELATING TO STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT -- 2021 ACT ON CLIMATE
16	16	Introduced By: Senators de la Cruz, Rogers, Ciccone, Zurier, F. Lombardi, Burke,
17	17	LaMountain, Quezada, Raptakis, and DeLuca
18	18	Date Introduced: March 07, 2023
19	19	Referred To: Senate Environment & Agriculture
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21	21
22	22	It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
23	23	SECTION 1. Chapter 42-6.2 of the General Laws entitled "2021 Act on Climate" is hereby 1
24	24	amended by adding thereto the following sections: 2
25	25	42-6.2-7.1. Study of impact to developing countries. 3
26	26	(a) The council, pursuant to the council's responsibility and oversight in accordance with 4
27	27	the provisions of § 42-6.2-1, shall study, make determinations and report to the speaker of the 5
28	28	house, the president of the senate and the governor whether any enacted legislation or programs or 6
29	29	policies adopted or implemented by the state or any of its subdivisions or agencies has the effect of 7
30	30	shifting environmental impact of carbon-free energy technologies onto impoverished and 8
31	31	developing countries, including, but not limited to: 9
32	32	(1) Disclosing human rights abuses and labor conditions of workers mining, 10
33	33	manufacturing, and recycling carbon-free energy technologies and the materials of which carbon-11
34	34	free energy technologies are composed; 12
35	35	(2) Disclosing the environmental impacts of copper, lithium, cobalt, nickel, and 13
36	36	neodymium mining; 14
37	37	(3) Disclosing the traceability of mining supply chains used in carbon-free energy 15
38	38	technology products; and 16
39	39	(4) Documenting the effects of toxic pollution resulting from the decommissioning, 17
40	40	recycling, and disposal of carbon-free energy technology products. 18
41	41	(b) The report required pursuant to the provisions of subsection (a) of this section shall be 19
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45	45	submitted to the speaker of the house, the president of the senate and the governor annually on or 1
46	46	before January 15. 2
47	47	42-6.2-8.1. Nickel supply study. 3
48	48	The council shall conduct an annual study that calculates the amount of the element nickel 4
49	49	that is contained in electric vehicle batteries and in energy storage facilities sold or constructed in 5
50	50	the state. The study shall also identify the country, state or province of origin of the nickel. The 6
51	51	study shall be completed no later than November 1, of each year, beginning in 2024, and shall be 7
52	52	distributed to the speaker of the house, president of the senate, and the governor. 8
53	53	42-6.2-8.2. Solar panels - Recycling and decommissioning. 9
54	54	No solar energy permit as defined in § 45-68-2 shall be issued unless the permit applicant 10
55	55	has committed in writing and submitted evidence demonstrating that sufficient resources shall be 11
56	56	available and set aside to pay for the decommissioning and recycling of the photovoltaic panels 12
57	57	comprising the solar electric generating systems at the end of their useful life. 13
58	58	SECTION 2. Chapter 23-18.9 of the General Laws entitled "Refuse Disposal" is hereby 14
59	59	amended by adding thereto the following section: 15
60	60	23-18.9-19. Disposal of wind turbine blades. 16
61	61	Blades from a decommissioned or repowered wind energy conversion system operating in 17
62	62	this state shall be disposed of or recycled within this state, unless the blades are to be recycled into 18
63	63	a useful byproduct, upon approval by the department of environmental management after 19
64	64	consultation with the council, at a facility located outside of the state. 20
65	65	SECTION 3. Chapter 39-26.4 of the General Laws entitled "Net Metering" is hereby 21
66	66	amended by adding thereto the following section: 22
67	67	39-26.4-6. Renewable energy credits. 23
68	68	(a) The division of public utilities and carriers ("division") shall create a program for 24
69	69	tradable renewable energy credits for electricity generated by eligible energy technology. The 25
70	70	credits shall represent energy produced by an eligible energy technology, and the program shall be 26
71	71	implemented in coordination with the provision of chapter 82 of title 23. 27
72	72	(1) Each kilowatt-hour of renewable energy credits shall be treated the same as a kilowatt-28
73	73	hour of eligible energy technology generated or procured by an electric utility if it is produced by 29
74	74	an eligible energy technology. The program shall permit a credit to be used only once. The program 30
75	75	shall treat all eligible energy technology equally and shall not give more or less credit to energy 31
76	76	based on where in the state the energy was generated or the technology with which the energy was 32
77	77	generated. The division shall determine the period in which the credits may be used for purposes 33
78	78	of the program. 34
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82	82	(b) In lieu of generating or procuring energy directly to satisfy the eligible energy 1
83	83	technology objective of chapter 82 of title 23 and chapter 6.2 of title 42, an electric utility may 2
84	84	utilize renewable energy credits allowed under the program to satisfy the objective. 3
85	85	(c) The division may facilitate a program authorizing the trading of renewable energy 4
86	86	credits between states. 5
87	87	(d) The division shall promulgate rules and regulations requiring all electric utilities to 6
88	88	participate in an approved credit-tracking system or systems and establishing protocols for trading 7
89	89	credits; provided, however, after July 1, 2024, no renewable energy credit shall be authorized if the 8
90	90	credit is associated with electricity generated from a facility: 9
91	91	(1) Composed of materials excavated, processed, or manufactured outside the United States 10
92	92	that uses slave labor, or child labor, as determined by the United Nations International Labor 11
93	93	Organization; or 12
94	94	(2) For which silicon tetrachloride, cadmium, lead, or a chemical listed by the United States 13
95	95	Environmental Protection Agency as a known or suspected carcinogen or genotoxin was used in 14
96	96	its manufacturing process. 15
97	97	SECTION 5. This act shall take effect upon passage. 16
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104	104	EXPLANATION
105	105	BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
106	106	OF
107	107	A N A C T
108	108	RELATING TO STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT -- 2021 ACT ON CLIMATE
109	109	***
110	110	This act would require that the climate change coordinating council study and report on 1
111	111	legislation or programs that are shifting environmental impacts of the use of carbon-free energy 2
112	112	technologies onto impoverished and developing countries. This act would also require that wind 3
113	113	turbine blades be disposed of within this state unless recycled. This act would further establish a 4
114	114	program for tradable, renewable energy credits to be used in coordination with the provisions of 5
115	115	the regional greenhouse gas initiative act, chapter 82 of title 23. 6
116	116	This act would take effect upon passage. 7
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