(a)  Consistent with the purposes of this chapter, and utilizing regional stakeholder processes where appropriate, the office of energy resources, in consultation and coordination with the division of public utilities and carriers and the public utility company that provides electric distribution as defined in § 39-1-2(a)(12) as well as natural gas as defined in § 39-1-2(a)(17), is authorized to:

(1)  Participate in the development and issuance of state, regional, or multistate competitive solicitation(s) for the development and construction of regional electric-transmission projects that would allow for the reliable transmission of large- or small-scale domestic or international hydroelectric power to New England load centers that will benefit the state of Rhode Island and its ratepayers, and such solicitations may be issued by the New England States Committee on Electricity or the electric or natural gas distribution company to further the purposes of this chapter;

(2)  Participate in the development and issuance of state, regional, or multistate competitive solicitation(s) for the development and construction of regional electric-transmission projects that would allow for the reliable transmission of eligible renewable energy resources, including offshore wind, as defined by § 39-26-5(a), to New England load centers that will benefit the state of Rhode Island and its ratepayers, and the solicitations may be issued by the New England States Committee on Electricity or the electric or natural gas distribution company to further the purposes of this chapter; and

(3)  Participate in the development and issuance of regional or multistate competitive solicitation(s) for the development and construction of regional natural-gas-pipeline infrastructure and capacity that will benefit the state of Rhode Island and its ratepayers by strengthening energy system reliability and security and, in doing so, potentially mitigate energy price volatility that threatens the economic vitality and competitiveness of Rhode Island residents and businesses. The solicitations may be issued by the New England States Committee on Electricity or the electric or natural gas distribution company to further the purposes of this chapter; and the solicitations may request proposals that are priced in increments to allow for the evaluation of project costs and benefits associated with adding various levels of additional, natural gas pipeline capacity into New England and assist with the optimization of energy system reliability, economic, and other benefits consistent with the purposes of this chapter.

(4)  As part of any such state, regional, or multistate competitive solicitation processes conducted pursuant to this chapter, the office of energy resources shall work jointly with the division of public utilities and carriers, and with the electric distribution company as appropriate, to identify incremental, natural-gas-pipeline infrastructure and capacity and/or electric-transmission projects that optimize energy reliability, economic, environmental, and ratepayer impacts for Rhode Island, consistent with the legislative findings and purpose of this chapter. The office of energy resources and division of public utilities and carriers shall be authorized to utilize expert consultants, as needed, to assist in any state, regional, multistate, or state-level determination related to the procurement activities identified in § 39-31-5.

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Terms Used In Rhode Island General Laws 39-31-4

  • Commission: means the public utilities commission. See Rhode Island General Laws 39-1-2
  • Company: means and includes a person, firm, partnership, corporation, quasi-municipal corporation, association, joint-stock association or company, and his, her, its, or their lessees, trustees, or receivers appointed by any court. See Rhode Island General Laws 39-1-2
  • Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
  • Division: means the division of public utilities and carriers. See Rhode Island General Laws 39-1-2
  • Electric distribution company: means a company engaging in the distribution of electricity or owning, operating, or controlling distribution facilities and shall be a public utility pursuant to subsection (20) of this section. See Rhode Island General Laws 39-1-2
  • Natural gas: means the combustible, gaseous mixture of low-molecular-weight, paraffin hydrocarbons, generated below the surface of the earth, containing mostly methane and ethane with small amounts of propane, butane, and hydrocarbons, and sometimes nitrogen, carbon dioxide, hydrogen sulfide, and helium. See Rhode Island General Laws 39-1-2
  • Public utility: means and includes every company that is an electric distribution company and every company operating or doing business in intrastate commerce and in this state as a railroad, street railway, common carrier, gas, liquefied natural gas, water, telephone, telegraph, and pipeline company, and every company owning, leasing, maintaining, managing, or controlling any plant or equipment, or any part of any plant or equipment, within this state for manufacturing, producing, transmitting, distributing, delivering, or furnishing natural or manufactured gas, directly or indirectly, to or for the public, or any cars or equipment employed on, or in connection with, any railroad or street railway for public or general use within this state, or any pipes, mains, poles, wires, conduits, fixtures, through, over, across, under, or along any public highways, parkways, or streets, public lands, waters, or parks for the transmission, transportation, or distribution of gas for sale to the public for light, heat, cooling, or power for providing audio or visual telephonic or telegraphic communication service within this state, or any pond, lake, reservoir, stream, well, or distributing plant or system employed for the distribution of water to the consuming public within this state, including the water supply board of the city of Providence; provided, that, except as provided in § 39-16-9 and in P. See Rhode Island General Laws 39-1-2

(b)  Prior to any binding commitments being made by any agencies of the state, the electric distribution company, or any other entity that would result in costs being incurred directly, or indirectly, by Rhode Island electric and/or gas consumers through distribution or commodity rates, the office of energy resources and division of public utilities and carriers shall jointly file any energy infrastructure project recommendation(s) with the public utilities commission and may make such filing jointly with the electric or natural gas distribution company as appropriate. The public utilities commission shall consider any such recommendation(s) as specified under § 39-31-7.

(c)  A copy of the filing made under subsection (b) of this section shall be provided to the governor, the president of the senate, the speaker of the house, the department of environmental management, and the commerce corporation.

(d)  The electric distribution company shall be provided with a copy of any filing made under this section at least ten (10) business days in advance of its filing with the public utilities commission and the electric or gas distribution utility may file separate comments when the filing is made.

(e)  As part of any office of energy resources and division of public utilities and carriers filing made pursuant to this chapter, the agencies shall identify the expected energy reliability, energy security, and ratepayer impacts that are expected to result from commitments being made in connection with the proposed project(s).

(f)  The office of energy resources and division of public utilities and carriers reserve the right to determine that energy infrastructure projects submitted in any state, regional, or multistate competitive solicitation process are not in Rhode Island’s energy reliability, energy security, and/or ratepayer interests, and shall make such findings available to the governor, the president of the senate, and the speaker of the house. The electric or gas distribution utility may attach a separate opinion to those findings, at its election.

History of Section.
P.L. 2014, ch. 424, § 1; P.L. 2014, ch. 477, § 1; P.L. 2016, ch. 512, art. 1, § 26; P.L. 2020, ch. 79, art. 1, § 24; P.L. 2022, ch. 372, § 1; P.L. 2022, ch. 373, § 1.