Bill > H7727

This bill establishes the Offshore Wind Procurement Policy Study Commission, a fifteen-member body tasked with evaluating policies and procurement structures needed to support the long-term development of offshore wind energy in Rhode Island, aiming to procure 1,200 megawatts (MW) of offshore wind capacity by 2030 in a cost-effective, reliable manner that aligns with the state's climate and economic development goals, including job creation and workforce standards. The commission, which will include representatives from the General Assembly, state agencies like the Office of Energy Resources (OER) and the Public Utilities Commission, Rhode Island Energy, environmental and labor organizations, consumer advocates, and offshore wind experts, will meet at least bi-monthly and is set to sunset on December 31, 2030, unless extended, and will study various aspects such as procurement authority, evaluation criteria, regional coordination, contract pricing, onshore infrastructure needs, and workforce development, reporting its findings and recommendations annually to the governor and General Assembly, with the OER required to initiate rulemaking to implement these recommendations within 180 days of the first annual report.

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