By Steve
Ahlquist in Rhode Island’s Future
The Environment Council of Rhode Island (ECRI) and its president, Jerry Elmer, celebrated Earth Day at
the State House with their annual lobby day.
Over the course of a short presentation Elmer outlined the four bills that will
be the legislative priorities of ECRI. ECRI also invited Governor Gina Raimondo, Senator Josh
Miller and Representative Deborah Ruggiero to
speak to the assembled environmental advocates.
The Environment Council of
Rhode Island is a coalition of more than 60 organizations and individuals whose
mission is to serve as an effective voice for developing and
advocating policies and laws that protect and enhance the environment.
The first bill ECRI is
supporting is the EnergizeRI Act, (H5369/S365).
This act would establish a fee on companies that sell fossil fuels in Rhode
Island, paid at the point of sale within the state for consumption or
distribution within the state. This act would also establish a “Clean Energy
and Jobs Fund” to disburse the collected funds.
The funds would be disbursed
through rebates to all residents and businesses in the state as well as
allocated to climate resilience, energy efficiency, energy conservation, and
renewable energy programs that benefit Rhode Islanders, particularly low income
residential properties and small business properties.
The Distributed
Generation Contract program was a successful pilot that was extended into the Renewable Energy Growth (REG) program in 2014 (RIGL 39-26.6). Ruggiero’s bill
extends the REG for an additional 10 years after the 5th program year, with an
annual target of 40 nameplate MW for each of the 10 year period. This will help
diversify Rhode Island’s energy mix and improve system reliability. This
extension has passed on the floor of the Senate.
The next bill on
ECRI’s legislative agenda is the Green Building Act Amendments (H5427),
said Elmer.
The Green Buildings Act, RIGL Chapter 37-24, provides that
“All major facility projects of public agencies be designed and constructed to
at least the LEED certified or an
equivalent high performance standard”.
The legislative findings for The Green
Buildings Act state that these high performance standards save energy, reduce
water consumption, improve indoor air quality, and more.
The proposed amendment
would reduce water demand, filter and reduce storm water runoff, provide
wildlife habitat, reduce energy consumption, improve air quality, improve human
health, and increase outdoor recreation opportunities for the buildings,
properties, the surrounding neighborhoods, and their communities.
LEED for Neighborhood Development and SITES would be the rating systems for the high
performance standards of green infrastructure and sustainable landscapes used
for “other public improvements of any kind to any public real property”, which
includes the property, grounds, and open spaces.
Elmer called Senator
Josh Miller a “long-time, long-term champion of renewable energy.”
Miller noted that he
had been serving on the education committee for a few years and that it was
“nice to be back in the graces of the environmental community” now that he has
rejoined the Senate Agriculture and Environmental Committee. Environmental
action taken by the states are more important than ever, suggested Miller,
because of the “ignorance” of Washington under Trump.
Governor Gina Raimondo
arrived late in the program, and faced a number of signs opposing the Invenergy‘s proposed $1 billion fracked gas and diesel
oil burning power plant planned for Burrillville, which
she championed early on. Raimondo avoided talk of the power plant during her
remarks.
“We’re fortunate as
Rhode Islanders to have a wealth of historic parks, open spaces and a beautiful
Bay to enjoy,” Governor Raimondo said. “Efforts like this ensure we have clean
water, fresh air, and healthy communities — all vital to our way of life, health,
and economy. I am grateful for this coalition’s work on the green economy
bond and brownfield cleanup across the state, and look forward to more progress
in the months and years to come.”
The last ECRI priority
bill is H5897,
which would bolster and clarify the Energy Facility Siting Act.
This bill prevents the Energy Facility Siting Board (ESFB) from proceeding to a final hearing or issuing a
final decision if any one or more of the designated agencies inform the ESFB
that they are unable to form an advisory opinion because of the applicant’s
failure to cooperate or provide information.
Because she was late
to the program and spoke last, Raimondo’s remarks directly preceded Elmer’s
introduction of the bill, which made for an awkward moment:
Here are some other
bills ECRI supports:
H5116:
Increases penalties for intentionally damaging protected lands
H5536:
Advance municipal aggregation
H5801:
Est. deposits for glass, aluminum, and plastic containers
H5905:
Fragrance disclosure to the public of chemicals in products
Here are some bills
ECRI opposes:
S386:
Eliminates liability protection for outdoor recreation on state lands
Following the speaking
program, attendees dispersed to lobby their respective representatives and
senators on environmental bills.
Steve Ahlquist
is an award-winning journalist, writer, artist and founding member of the
Humanists of Rhode Island, a non-profit group dedicated to reason, compassion,
optimism, courage and action. The views expressed are his own and not
necessarily those of any organization of which he is a member. atomicsteve@gmail.com and Twitter:
@SteveAhlquist.