Solar farms could be a reality in Rhode Island as the state looks to transition to cleaner forms of energy. A bill making its way through the General Assembly would create a program to offset the costs of putting renewable energy projects on brownfield sites.
Brownfields are former industrial areas that are often contaminated. The state says clean-ups could be paid for using federal dollars, which would then help ratepayers.
“Siting solar installations on brownfields and other disturbed sites helps us to meet our Act on Climate goals while protecting our natural resources,” said Representative June Speakman (D-Dist. 68, Warren, Bristol). “However, there are significant costs to municipalities and state agencies to prepare these sites and connect them to our electrical grid. This act makes use of available federal dollars to help offset these costs and keep Rhode Island’s transition to green energy moving forward.”
The office of Energy Resources says it would use the money to fund projects to build solar farms on rooftops of large buildings, next to major roads and in brownfield sites.
“This bill has been improved from last year by incorporating suggestions from the Rhode Island Infrastructure Bank and the Rhode Island Office of Energy Resources to more efficiently make use of federal funds for solar development,” said Sen. Alana DiMario (D-Dist. 36, Narragansett, North Kingstown, New Shoreham). “What hasn’t changed is the urgency to create our plan for the next decade of solar development in Rhode Island. This bill is a huge step forward in ensuring our energy is affordable, clean and reliable.”
The state has a goal of reaching carbon neutrality by 2050. That goal would require the state to source all of its electricity from renewable sources by 2033.
Generative artificial intelligence (AI) assisted a What’sUpNewp journalist with the reporting included in this story.
