Session Winners: Renewable
Energy, Composting
By TIM FAULKNER/ecoRI
News staff
PROVIDENCE — Three big
environmental bills were passed during the 2014 General Assembly session
despite the abrupt change of House speaker. Renewable energy was the biggest
winner in terms of bills passed, but efforts to address climate change also
received a major lift.
PASSED
Climate change. The most significant bill from the 2014 session is
likely the Resilient Rhode
Island Act. The act sets forth a structure for meeting greenhouse
gas reduction targets and coordinating climate-change adaptation and mitigation
strategies. It replaces the Climate Change Commission, a near-defunct committee
headed by House and Senate legislators, with Gov. Lincoln Chafee’s Executive
Climate Change Council, or EC3. The council, made up of department heads, has
many tasks, including promoting the use of electric vehicles, expanding
renewable energy, and working with municipalities to create and fund strategies
that address flooding and other climate impacts at the local level.
The EC3 is expected to
address its immediate challenge — staff and funding — at its July 16 meeting.
The new DG program
approved by the General Assembly quadruples the amount of electricity National
Grid allots to the program. Small hydropower, anaerobic digesters and smaller
residential projects also qualify for the fixed-price systems. It’s expected to
create about 225 jobs and add about 90 cents a year to the average utility
bill.
Two other bills also
helped the renewable-energy sector. A change to the electric-metering rules for
renewable-energy projects, such as wind turbines and solar arrays, allows state
departments and quasi-government agencies to earn credits for excess
electricity they generate from renewable-energy projects. Previously, the
credit system, called net metering, was only permitted by renewable projects
owned by municipalities. The change is expected to attract more
renewable-energy investment to the state.
Smaller renewable
projects are expected to save time and money thanks to a rule change that allows some electrical and
plumbing work — normally done by licensed plumbers and electricians — to be
performed by contractors that qualify for a new renewable-energy certificate.
Compost. Rhode Island joins Massachusetts, Connecticut and
Vermont with mandatory recycling of food scrap. Only the biggest institutions
that generate organic waste — at least 104 tons of it annually — must comply,
such as supermarkets, food makers, banquet halls, hospitals, prisons, casinos,
private schools and restaurants.
There are several
exclusions in the law: a
compost facility or anaerobic digester must be within 15 miles of the
institution and willing to accept food scrap. A farm may also accept these
organics. Also, the cost to ship food scrap to a compost/anaerobic facility
must be less expensive than shipping it to the Central Landfill in Johnston.
Public K-12 schools are exempt.
The only commercial
compost facility in Rhode Island is Earth Care Farm in Charlestown. An aerobic
digester is planned for the Quonset Business Park in North Kingstown.
Compliance begins Jan. 1, 2016.
Supporters hope more
composting creates news businesses and jobs, extends the life of the Central
Landfill beyond 2038, and gets more schools learning and teaching the value of
food-scrap diversion.
NOT THIS YEAR
Bag ban. Bans on plastic shopping bags are gaining strength
across the United States and Rhode Island seemed poised to pass such a ban this
year, especially after Barrington made its ban permanent. But the change in
House speaker and the subsequent turnover on the House Committee on the
Environment and Natural Resources, including the seat of the sponsor of the Plastic Waste
Reduction Act, quickly dimmed prospects for the ban.
Cesspools. Environmentalists say eliminating cesspools is one of
the quickest ways to reduce beach pollution and improve health in Rhode Island.
There are about 25,000 of these covered pits in Rhode Island. They are not to
be confused with septic systems. But real-estate agents argued against the cost
of getting rid of them connected to the sale of a home. Realtors won the day.
Open space. To the surprise of many, $3 million was stripped from a ballot referendum to protect
open space. There will still be money for farmland protection and grants for
parks and playgrounds, but not for open lots of land.
GMOs. Three bills that would have required labeling of
genetically engineered foods stalled in committee.
Toxic Ammo A bill to eliminate lead
and other toxic ammunition for hunting only had one hearing.
Tax credits for residential
renewable energy systems, electric vehicles and electric vehicle manufacturers
were not adopted.
NOT SURE
Opposition is mounting
in Massachusetts, Connecticut and New York against proposed pipelines and
upgrades that would bring more natural gas through New England. A proposed
upgrade at a compressor station in Burrillville is drawing critics who want
more public input and studies of the heath risks.
Passage of the Affordable Clean
Energy Securities Act facilitates
more of these projects as Rhode Island joins the other New England states in an
all-of-the-above energy strategy, one that seeks to stabilize energy prices.
The act may lead to
more renewable energy. It also may lead to more fossil-fuel burning, perhaps
from fracking fields. Preference for the legislation probably depends on
whether one considers natural gas a bridge fuel or part of the climate problem.