Providence Community Electricity is helping to support Rhode Island based renewable energy and to accelerate the development of renewable energy in our region. How? We’re including voluntary Rhode Island New (RI New) renewable energy, above and beyond State requirements, in many of our electricity supply options.
Supporting Rhode Island Projects
All of the voluntary RI New renewable energy in Providence Community Electricity will come from sources located on our New England electricity grid, but we’re keeping the impact as local as possible. Our voluntary RI New will include sourcing from:
- Wind turbines in Coventry and Providence, RI
- Brownfield solar in Johnston, North Providence, and West Greenwich, RI
These Rhode Island projects are brought to you through Green Energy Consumers Alliance, a local non-profit that helps bring new renewable projects to New England through strategic support of development opportunities with short and long term contracts.
Why RI New?
RI New sources must be part of our New England electricity grid. This stands in contrast to some suppliers that obtain their renewable energy from national sources (e.g., Texas) that are not physically connected to our New England electricity grid. While those sources provide very cheap electricity, you get what you pay for – including them in the electricity mix does not move our region away from fossil fuels.
Want to dig deeper? Check out our Renewable Energy FAQ.
*Generation sources that qualify for the RES are known as RI New and must be built after 1997, be located within, or delivered to, New England (two percent may come from sources built prior to 1997, called RI Existing).
How We Track Renewable Energy
Providence Community Electricity will certify all purchases of renewable energy by purchasing and retiring Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs), the accepted legal instrument used to track renewable energy generation, and to substantiate claims of renewable energy use. Want to learn more about RECs? Check out our Renewable Energy FAQ.