Raimondo Calls For Complete Change To Renewable Energy By 2030

PROVIDENCE, RI — Governor Gina Raimondo signed an executive order Friday calling for an end to fossil fuel dependence in Rhode Island by the end of the decade. By 2030, the governor called for the state's electricity to be entirely powered by renewable energy sources.

"When we meet this goal, Rhode Island will be the first state in America to be powered by 100 percent renewable electricity," Raimondo said. "We’re already leading the fight against climate change, but we have to take increasingly aggressive action if we want to avoid catastrophe. As governor of a coastal state and mom to two teenagers, I’m fully committed to protecting the beauty of our state and our way of life for future generations."

In the order, Raimondo called for the state's Office of Energy Resources to conduct an analysis of the state's economic and energy markets to determine what steps need to be taken to reach the goal. A final report is due by the end of the year.

Friday's executive order is the latest in Raimondo's push for a greener Rhode Island. Three years ago, she called for the state to increase its clean energy supply by 10 times before the end of 2020. According to Raimondo's office, Rhode Island is on track to meet that goal on time thanks to the growth of renewable energy, efficiency programs and more.

Nicholas Ucci, the state's acting energy commissioner, praised Governor Raimondo and state lawmakers for their commitment to reducing the state's carbon footprint.

"Rhode Island has benefited from a suite of clean energy policies and programs that are attracting investment and growing jobs, while reducing our carbon footprint," Ucci said. "Because of this work, we are already on track to meet more than one-third of our electricity demand with renewables within a few years. I am confident that, working together, our state can build upon these successes and further accelerate renewable energy adoption while balancing energy affordability, reliability, and the very real need to mitigate harmful greenhouse gas emissions."

Last summer, the governor signed another executive order, this one creating a Heating Sector Transformation to push for greener heating options in homes and businesses in Rhode Island.

More information on the Rhode Island's push for a greener future is available on the state's website.

RI is a leader in the fight against climate change, but we still need to take aggressive action as we continue to combat this crisis. Today, I signed an executive order to make RI the first state in America to be powered by 100% renewable electricity by the end of the decade. pic.twitter.com/FD3uHQFp7j
— Gina Raimondo (@GovRaimondo) January" class="redactor-linkify-object">https://twitter.com/GovRaimond... 17, 2020