I have campaigned aggressively against utility rate hikes and have submitted legislation to better address these issues. I will continue this fight. Here are updates from the RI Office of Energy Resource Leading Rhode Island to a secure, cost-effective, and sustainable energy future. Energy Smart Clicks Get Help Gaining Control of your Winter Bills Compare the Costs of Driving with Electricity Solar Power Becoming a Better Bargain in RI This Months Fuel Prices at a glance *All monthly average costs based on time period November 22nd - December 26th. Check out our fuel survey data and National Grids Billing and Rates page to stay up to date on current price trends! Electricity and Natural Gas rates include delivery and supply service charges (to residential customers) and Gross Earnings Tax. Solarize RI Tiverton & Little Compton Kick-off Join the Office of Energy Resources, Commerce RI, and Smartpower in kicking off Round Two of Solarize RI! Solarize Tiverton and Solarize Little Compton will officially launch on Monday January 26th at 10:00 am at a location to be announced soon. Visit the Solarize website for more information. Upcoming Energy Events DEADLINE EXTENDED January 16th: 2015 RI Clean Energy Future Awards Nominations Due The Clean Energy Future Awards recognize individuals, companies, and/or organizations that show exemplary achievement and leadership in promoting energy efficiency, renewable energy, or alternative clean transportation throughout the Ocean State. Be sure to nominate an energy leader! Applications due 4:00 PM Friday, January 16th. January 26th: Little Compton and Tiverton Solarize Kick-Off Join the Office of Energy Resources, Commerce RI, and Smartpower in kicking off Solarize Tiverton and Solarize Little Compton Monday, January 26, 2014 at a location to be announced soon. Click here for more information on Solarize Rhode Island. March 5th-8th 2015: Save the Date! 2015 Energy Expo RI Convention Center Clean Energy Future POSTER COMPETITION 2015 RI Energy Expo Future leaders need to be prepared to deal with on-going energy issues that impact us all. The Office of Energy Resources asks teachers and schools to challenge each of your students to design a poster that depicts one of three energy-related concepts: energy conservation, renewable energy, or greenhouse gas emissions. Posters will judged based on guidelines provided for each grade group. Prizes and certificates will be awarded to the first and second place winners of each group. The winning artists will be formally recognized by members of the Rhode Island Congressional Delegation and other distinguished leaders at the RI Clean Energy Future Awards ceremony at the RI Home Show in March. For complete contest rules and guidelines, please click here. Good luck! December 2014 Newsletter Happy New Year! Energy News Public Utilities Commission Approves 2015 Energy Efficiency Program Plan The Rhode Island Public Utilities Commission (PUC) approved National Grids 2015 annual Energy Efficiency Program Plan on December 23, 2014. The Office of Energy Resources (OER) was one of several organizations who collaborated to develop and review the Plan prior to PUC approval. The primary goal of this forward-thinking Plan is to supply energy in a manner that is optimally cost-effective, reliable, and environmentally sound, in accordance with the States Least Cost Procurement mandate. The 2015 Plan will create annual savings of 193,602 MWh and 376,963 MMBtu and lifetime savings of 1,966,462 MWh and 4,886,893 MMBtu. The Plan will generate economic benefits of more than $277.9 million coming from electric efficiency and $58.7 million in benefits from natural gas efficiency, creating a combined benefit of over $336.6 million over the life of the measures. These benefits are urgently needed for Rhode Islands residential, commercial, industrial, and low-income energy customers. The Plan achieves its goals by implementing key strategies including: Promoting cost efficiency by continuing to deliver energy efficiency services as cost-effectively as possible; Empowering communities and markets to be energy efficient by increasing awareness of energy efficiency programs and enhancing existing programs and marketing tools to reach new and repeat customers more effectively; Innovating to capture untapped savings by using advanced technologies in new ways to drive deeper energy savings and program participation; Developing opportunities for system-level savings and integration by working with partners to research, develop, and integrate distributed energy resources. The development and implementation of these annual plans has played a big role in leading Rhode Island to its ranking of third most energy efficient state in the country, according to the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy. For more information about energy efficiency programs available to you, click here. Rhode Island Holds First State Zero-Emission Vehicle Working Group Meeting On December 19th, the Office of Energy Resources (OER), in partnership with the Department of Transportation, the Department of Environmental Management (DEM), and the Ocean State Clean Cities Coalition (OSCCC), held the first meeting of the Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) Working Group. The purpose of the meeting was to bring together members of state and quasi-governmental agencies, private and non-profit organization, auto dealers, and utility providers, among others, to create a work plan to promote the growth of the ZEV market in Rhode Island. As part of the State Zero-Emission Vehicle Programs MOU, signed by Governor Lincoln D. Chafee, Rhode Island is committed to having 43,000 zero-emission vehicles on the road by 2025. Rhode Islands goal is part of a larger goal among the ZEV Program member states to have 3.3 million zero emission vehicles on the road by 2025. Commissioner Marion Gold began the meeting focusing on the projects Rhode Island is implementing to help achieve the goal. DEM Supervising Air Quality Specialist Frank Stevenson spoke about how the ZEV Program works in accordance with the California Air Resource Board (CARB) standards that have been adopted by Rhode Island. Karen Glitman, Director of Transportation Efficiency at Vermont Energy Investments Corporation, outlined what other member states under the ZEV MOU have accomplished, and OSCC Director Wendy Lucht closed the meeting with an overview of the mission, goals, and structure of the future RI State ZEV Working Group meetings. We are excited to bring this diverse group together to focus on how we can develop and mature a market for electric and fuel cell vehicles, said Commissioner Gold. For more information, contact Ryan Cote at [email protected]. The Office of Energy Resources, in partnership with the Energy Efficiency and Resource Management Council and National Grid, have EXTENDED THE DEADLINE for nominations for the 2015 Rhode Island Clean Energy Future Awards. Applications may be mailed or emailed and must be received no later than 4:00 PM FRIDAY JANUARY 16th, 2015. Nominate the energy leader in your community! Click here to download instructions and to print the full application. Project Spotlight: Scituate NEED Student Workshop On December 12th, 15 of Shannon Donovans National Energy Education Development (NEED) Club students spent the day teaching 56 fifth graders from Western Coventry and 17 fourth graders from Glocesters Fogarty School about energy. The day started with a rousing game of Energy Bingo. Next the elementary students rotated to various work stations around the room learning about such things as: renewable energy, CFLs and LEDs, batteries, and electromagnetism. The young students were engaged and excited to learn, and the older students were eager to teach. The teachers were able to take materials back to their schools with the goal of having these young students teach other students at their schools. The NEED programs mission is to promote an energy conscious and educated society. It provides the resources for motivated energy-conscious student leaders to become the worlds future energy leaders. It is the nations leading provider of energy-related: education programs and materials; evaluation techniques and tools; recognition of student achievement; and professional development of educators. The students who participate in the program show outstanding leadership, teamwork, and community engagement as they complete a curriculum that focuses on the science of energy, renewable sources of energy, energy use in transportation, efficiency & conservation, and the synthesis of energy information. For more information about NEED, click here. Energy by the Numbers Space heating currently comprises 42% of the average Rhode Island households energy consumption. A large majority of Rhode Islanders use either natural gas or heating oil as fuel to heat their homes. For information on energy efficient space heating systems for your home, click here. *Other fuels include, but are not limited to; wood, coal, propane, and solar. Sources: 2000 Data: U.S. Department of Energy 2012 Data: RI State Data Center Copyright © 2014. All Rights Reserved. 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Posted on: Wed, 31 Dec 2014 19:12:55 +0000
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