Legislation Would Shift Incentives For Solar Development Away From Important Forest And Wildlife Areas

Rhode Island House Bill H 7531 makes our state’s most important forests and wildlife habitat, ineligible for incentives to develop renewable energy. It also defines preferred sites where renewable energy incentives should be focused. If adopted, this legislation would be a huge improvement of Rhode Island’s current renewable energy siting programs that are encouraging the clearing of many hundreds of acres of forest and wildlife habitat.

The legislation has the support of the Audubon Society of Rhode Island, the Conservation Law Foundation, Green Energy Consumers Alliance, Save The Bay, The Nature Conservancy, and Grow Smart Rhode Island.

As the impacts of climate change continue to intensify, it is essential that we safeguard and enhance the capacity of forests and natural lands to absorb and store carbon. Rhode Island’s forests offset the annual emissions of more than 100,000 passenger vehicles each year. Rhode Island does not need to sacrifice our most important forests and habitat to achieve our renewable energy goals.

The bill defines “preferred sites”, where solar development should be encouraged such as landfills, gravel pits, environmentally damaged sites, parking lots or sites that are designated appropriate for carports, and all rooftops including, but not limited to, those on residential, commercial, industrial, agricultural, and municipal buildings.

This solar reform bill is likely to have a State House hearing this month. Please email written testimony to the chairman of the House Corporations Committee: Representative Joseph J Solomon Jr. You can e-mail your testimony to: Email: lmansolillo@rilegislature.gov. Please email a copy of your written testimony to Charlestown’s Representative Blake Filippi at blakefilippi@blake36.com and the Speaker at rep-shekarchi@rilegislature.gov. Please also include the number of the bill, H7531, in your correspondence.

Sample written testimony is below that you can use or change as you like.

lmansolillo@rilegislature.gov
cc blakefilippi@blake36.com, rep-shekarchi@rilegislature.gov

Representative Joseph J. Solomon Jr., Chair
House Corporations Committee
Rhode Island General Assembly

RE: Support H 7531 Net Metering/Renewable Energy Growth

Dear Chairman Solomon and Members of the Committee:

I respectfully urge the House Corporations Committee to adopt H 7531. I commend the sponsors of this important legislation, Representatives Speakman, Carson, Cortvriend, Donovan, Fogarty and Potter for recognizing the need to reform Rhode Island’s renewable energy siting programs to encourage more responsible development.

I strongly support defining preferred sites for renewable energy, making the important conservation areas ineligible for renewable energy incentives, and establishing disincentives for renewable energy in non-preferred sites. These important changes will help municipalities guide renewable energy to the most suitable sites, avoid controversial projects, and accelerate responsible renewable energy development that RI needs to meet our climate change goals. Moreover, RI needs both renewable energy and forests/natural areas to effectively manage climate change. Eliminating incentives that have been encouraging the loss of core forest and valuable habitat from renewable energy development is a very positive step forward.

Thank you for the opportunity to comment

Sincerely

Please also include your name and Rhode Island address