As the new home of RIPIRG's environmental work, Environment Rhode Island can be contacted regarding this news release.
Providence,
RI -- On March 20, 2002 at the Statehouse a group of over thirty businesses,
consumer groups and environmental groups announced a campaign to bring
renewable energy to Rhode Island. The groups included Rhode Island
Public Interest Research Group (RIPIRG), Clean Water Action, Coalition
for Consumer Justice, American Lung Association, People's Power and
Light, TPI Composites and Cape Wind Associates. The campaign, entitled,
Rhode Island Campaign for Clean and Secure Energy, seeks to bring
renewable energy and energy efficiency to the state by the year 2020.
The coalition announced support for H7237, sponsored by Reps. Moura,
Palumbo, Ginaitt, Slater and Ajello, which would require 20% of the
state's electricity come from renewable sources by the year 2020.
"Rhode
Island must look ahead towards a smarter, cleaner, energy future,"
stated Kate Canada, Advocate for Rhode Island Public Interest Research
Group (RIPIRG). "Now is the time to start investing in renewable
sources, such as wind and solar, to solve the energy problems we have
seen here in Rhode Island and across the region," Canada continued.
The
announcement today came hours before the House Corporations Committee,
chaired by Rep. Brian Kennedy, heard testimony on the legislation. The
main points highlighted at the event included the creation of jobs,
saving consumers and businesses money, and protecting the environment.
Rhode
Island's long-term commitment to renewable energy will give local
businesses the policy support they need to make investments in
renewable energy. Renewable energy and energy efficiency have the
potential to create 1.3 million jobs in this country by 2020, many of
which will be in regions that make a commitment to renewable energy.
"Renewable energy creates more jobs than traditional energy sources,"
stated Dennis Duffy of Cape Wind Associates, "From building wind
turbines to installing them throughout the northeast, we have a new
industry that will need hardworking and well trained individuals,"
Duffy continued.
In addition to developing a new industry
with the potential for jobs, the groups also announced that renewable
energy is good for consumers. Renewable energy and energy efficiency
will save the state, local businesses and consumers money. Similar to a
stock portfolio, diversifying our energy portfolio in Rhode Island will
stabilize our prices and make us less vulnerable to fuel price spikes
and fuel shortages.
"Renewable
energy and energy efficiency will stabilize our energy prices and even
lower prices over the long term," stated Matt Penfield, Energy
Associate with Coalition for Consumer Justice. "Too many Rhode
Islanders can not afford to pay their energy bills. Bringing more
renewable energy online will help these consumers be able to afford
energy," Penfield continued.
Rhode
Island is not the only state that would have a renewable energy content
standard. Currently ten states have renewable requirements, including
MA, CT. Rhode Island's energy currently comes from the New England
Power Pool (ISO-NE), and this means that the required 20% energy
content could come from any state participating in the pool - not just
within Rhode Island's borders. There are already proposed wind farms in
Vermont, Western MA, off Cape Cod, New Hampshire and Maine that could
all contribute to meeting Rhode Island's renewable energy standard.
"There
is no doubt that New England has enormous potential for generating much
more of its electricity from regional, renewable sources, and the
marketplace for selling renewable energy is already in place" stated
Erich Stephens, Executive Director of People's Power and Light. "Rhode
Island would give an important boost to an already growing renewable
energy market in New England," Stephens continued.
The
groups also explained that renewable energy has many positive benefits
for the environment. Every year 30,000 people die from power plant
pollution, and the Journal of the American Medical Association reports
that people exposed to fine particles of air pollution from coal-fired
power plants have a 12% increased risk of dying of lung cancer than
people in the least polluted areas. Reducing pollution from fossil
fuels will also help reduce our greenhouse gas emissions in Rhode
Island, something that the state is currently tackling through the DEM
Greenhouse Gas Stakeholder Process.
"Air
pollution is a serious problem in Rhode Island with 15 ozone alert days
last summer," stated Sheila Dormody, RI Director of Clean Water Action.
"Rhode Island must take every step it can to reduce pollution
throughout the state, and a renewable portfolio standard would protect
the environment while providing us with many more benefits."
Increasing
the amount of renewable energy used in Rhode Island helps create a more
resilient energy system, which is less vulnerable to disruption by
human threats or natural disasters. Renewable energy sources are
available here in our region, and do not need to be obtained in
politically unstable regions and then transported thousands of miles.
In
addition to a renewable energy content standard the bill also creates a
study commission made up of business, consumer, environmental and state
officials from throughout the state to look at how Rhode Island can
increase energy efficiency 20% by 2020. The bill also requires energy
providers to disclose the source of energy delivered to the consumer.
A
full list of supporters is available on Rhode Island PIRG's Web site at
www.ripirg.org and includes the George Wiley Center, American Cancer
Society, Offshore Services, Entech Engineering, Northeast
Sustainability Association, Solar Works, TPI Composites, American Wind
Energy Association, Environment Council of Rhode Island.
