PROVIDENCE, R.I. – In response to Governor Gina M. Raimondo's call for clean and affordable energy for Rhode Islanders, a recent competitive procurement attracted nearly 2,500 MW of carbon-free resources across 41 different bids. The procurement, issued by National Grid this past September, will help advance the Governor's goal to grow Rhode Island's clean energy supply ten-fold – to 1,000 megawatts – by 2020.
"Rhode Island continues to lead the nation in growing our clean energy economy," said Governor Gina Raimondo. "In just the last two years, we've tripled our renewable energy supply while creating hundreds of green jobs. The overwhelming response to this procurement shows that we are ready to keep building on this momentum. I look forward to moving forward with this process and bringing additional clean, affordable and reliable energy to our state."
Submitted projects include offshore wind, land-based wind, and solar resources. In the coming months, these proposals will go through a thorough evaluation process, and any accepted bids will be subject to a transparent regulatory review by the state's Public Utilities Commission.
"We are excited to see such an enthusiastic response to our 400-megawatt clean energy RFP," said State Energy Commissioner Carol Grant. "This process is using market competition to drive down the cost of renewable energy, making Rhode Islanders the winners. Joined by the Division of Public Utilities and Carriers, we look forward to providing an independent review of National Grid's evaluation process as we work together to identify low-cost, carbon-free energy resources for our state."
"National Grid plays a vital role in connecting millions of people to the energy they use and we are committed to leading in the clean energy transition," said Timothy Horan, President of National Grid Rhode Island. "The response to this RFP demonstrates that more companies are ready to innovate and invest in that same goal. We look forward to working with our stakeholders in evaluating these proposals and helping Rhode Island move closer to its goal of 1,000 MW of clean energy by 2020."
The 1,000-megawatt goal directs Rhode Island's energy team to seek a broad mix of clean resources – including offshore and on-shore wind, hydro and solar. The state's existing clean energy programs are working well, contributing to clean energy expansion and job growth throughout Rhode Island. This large-scale procurement will accelerate the state's progress and further diversify its mix of clean energy.
Information regarding the procurement process can be found at https://ricleanenergyrfp.com/ and public versions of the bids may be found at https://ricleanenergyrfp.com/public-versions-of-bids/.