Rhode Island 2025 Regular Session

Rhode Island House Bill H5834 Compare Versions

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

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5	5	2025 -- H 5834
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7	7	LC001973
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9	9	S T A T E O F R H O D E I S L A N D
10	10	IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
11	11	JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2025
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14	14	H O U S E R E S O L U T I O N
15	15	RESPECTFULLY REQUESTING THE PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION, OFFICE OF
16	16	ENERGY RESOURCES, AND DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT TO
17	17	IDENTIFY ISSUES RELATED TO ELECTRIC RATES AND POTENTIAL RATE REFORM
18	18	STRATEGIES
19	19	Introduced By: Representatives Handy, Cortvriend, McNamara, Boylan, Kislak, Potter,
20	20	and Fogarty
21	21	Date Introduced: February 28, 2025
22	22	Referred To: House Corporations
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25	25	WHEREAS, Rhode Island General Laws § 42-6.2-8 provides that it is the declared policy 1
26	26	of the State that “addressing the impacts on climate change shall be deemed to be within the 2
27	27	powers, duties, and obligations of all state departments, agencies, commissions, councils, and 3
28	28	instrumentalities, including quasi-public agencies, and each shall exercise among its purposes in 4
29	29	the exercise of its existing authority, the purposes set forth in this chapter pertaining to climate 5
30	30	change mitigation, adaptation, and resilience in so far as climate change affects its mission, 6
31	31	duties, responsibilities, projects, or programs”; and 7
32	32	WHEREAS, Existing electric rates jeopardize Rhode Island’s decarbonization goals as 8
33	33	they pose a barrier to building and transportation electrification; now, therefore be it 9
34	34	RESOLVED, That this House of Representatives of the State of Rhode Island hereby 10
35	35	respectfully requests the Rhode Island Public Utilities Commission (PUC), Office of Energy 11
36	36	Resources (OER), and Department of Environmental Management (DEM) to undertake a report 12
37	37	with stakeholder participation to identify issues related to current electric rate structure and 13
38	38	potential rate reform strategies to ensure electric rates are not a consistent obstacle to Rhode 14
39	39	Island’s decarbonization goals. This study shall consider: 15
40	40	(1) Rates that accommodate building and transportation electrification, and new loads, 16
41	41	and minimize or mitigate impact on ratepayers, especially low- and moderate-income ratepayers; 17
42	42	(2) How the 2025 Climate Action Strategy should consider rate reform in their “transition 18
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46	46	away from fossil fuels” section of their report; and 1
47	47	(3) What alternatives Rhode Island’s electric distribution company should propose to 2
48	48	their current rate design structure in their next distribution rate case; now, therefore be it 3
49	49	RESOLVED, That this House, in order to support building and transportation 4
50	50	electrification, hereby requests the PUC, OER, and DEM to report whether new electric rate 5
51	51	structures are necessary to meet Act on Climate goals; and be it further 6
52	52	RESOLVED, That this House hereby also requests the PUC, OER, and DEM to report 7
53	53	their findings and recommendations to the House on or before September 1, 2025; and be it 8
54	54	further 9
55	55	RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and hereby is authorized and directed to 10
56	56	transmit duly certified copies of this resolution to the Chairman of the Public Utilities 11
57	57	Commission, Commissioner of the Office of Energy Resources, and the Director of the 12
58	58	Department of Environmental Management. 13
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60	60	LC001973
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