PROVIDENCE, R.I. - Governor Gina M. Raimondo today signed an Executive Order reaffirming Rhode Island's commitment to the principles of the Paris Climate Agreement. The day after President Trump announced his disappointing decision to pull the United States out of the historic climate accord, Rhode Island joined the United States Climate Agreement--a coalition dedicated to fighting climate change that now includes 11 U.S. states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.
Home to over 400 miles of shoreline and the nation's first offshore windfarm, Rhode Island is a national leader in the fight against climate change. Raimondo has invested in clean energy job growth over her first two years as Governor, and since 2014, the state has seen a 66 percent increase in jobs in this sector. In the first year of Governor Raimondo's administration alone, the state created nearly 4,000 clean energy jobs--more than doubling projections.
Under Governor Raimondo's leadership, Rhode Island has taken meaningful steps to create a more sustainable and renewable future, including:
-Established aggressive goals to increase in-state renewable energy tenfold by 2020 and double the state's clean energy economy to 20,000 jobs by 2020; -Issued an Executive Order requiring Rhode Island to lead by example in energy efficiency and clean energy, including committing state government to obtaining 100% renewable energy by 2025; -Signed into law a comprehensive package of progressive energy reforms; -Invested $35 million into the state's green economy through a dedicated bond; -Created the RI Infrastructure Bank, a public green bank dedicated to clean energy finance; -Created a Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) program to allow homeowners and businesses to finance cost-effective energy efficiency and renewable upgrades; -Established the Efficient Building Fund, which has provided over $17 million in financing for public buildings over its first year of operation; and -Built detailed maps of vulnerability to sea-level rise and storm surges in order to focus attention on resiliency and target resources on climate adaptation.