In this powerful testimony, Mike Stenhouse, CEO of the RI Center for Freedom & Prosperity, explains why energy policy—not taxes, not housing, not government services—is the single most important determinant of Rhode Island’s future prosperity or poverty. Whether one believes in climate change or not, the economic consequences of the Act on Climate are unavoidable.
The Rhode Island Center for Freedom & Prosperity today announced that it has launched an online petition drive calling for policymakers to support a fundamental pivot away from our state’s current energy strategy, which will lead to staggeringly high electricity prices and potentially dangerous blackouts.
New Englanders would save hundreds of billions of dollars and avoid deadly power blackouts by replacing state-mandated renewable energy projects with nuclear and natural gas power, a study released today by a coalition of New England think tanks finds.
Alternatives to New England’s Energy Suicide, released by New England’s free-market think tanks along with Americans for Prosperity Foundation, estimated the effects of trying to meet the region’s energy needs through 2050 with nuclear and natural gas plants instead of wind and solar power.
New Year Requires New Energy Strategy? Zurier Invited to be ‘In The Dugout’ guest
With “affordability” top of mind for Ocean State residents, the CEO of the RI Center for Freedom & Prosperity today called upon Senator Sam Zurier and all members of the special Senate Energy Commission he chairs to take a holistic and realistic look at Rhode Island’s net-zero policies and Act On Climate mandates.
“Per my recent Providence Journal opinion piece, it is vitally important for the future prosperity of our state that this commission make an honest and comprehensive re-evaluation of our state’s energy strategy,” commented the Center’s CEO, Mike Stenhouse. “Since the Act’s mandates were enacted many years ago, the national energy landscape has dramatically changed … and state policymakers must adjust, as has been done in other states.”
Recent reports, published by the Center and its northeast energy consortium partners, have underscored the “staggering costs and risks” associated with the Ocean State’s existing net-zero approach which has little chance of achieving its costly agenda-driven goals and that could lead to “freezing in the dark” disasters. An upcoming report by the consortium, detailing significantly more affordable pathways to a prosperous energy future, is scheduled for release on January 13.
“We’ve entered a new year and it’s time for a new approach to the climate change debate, one that recognizes certain big picture truths,” continued Stenhouse. “Rather than continuing with a unattainable strategy that prioritizes reductions in carbon emissions, at great cost to families, Rhode Islanders deserve a realistic new strategy that prioritizes abundant, reliable, clean, and affordable energy sources so that the people of our state can prosper in their personal and professional lives. I have invited Senator Zurier to be my guest on my In The Dugout podcast to discuss his plans for his Commission.”
The Center recommends the Commission follow the lead of other northeast states and consider three actions. First, repeal Rhode Island’s electric vehicle mandates. Second, withdraw from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative. Third, delay all Act on Climate milestones by at least 20 years.
In 2025, lawmakers created a special Senate commission ‘to study and provide recommendations for potential changes’ to our state’s Act On Climate energy policies. The commission is composed of four Democrat State Senators (Chairman Zurier, Mark McKenney, Susan Sosnowski, and Lammis Vargas) and one Republican (Gordon Rogers).
Today, CEO for the Rhode Island Center for Freedom & Prosperity, Mike Stenhouse, co-signed a letter, along with national energy expert, G. Allen Brooks, requesting Doug Brugum, Secretary of the US Department Of the Interior (DOI), and other federal officials to accept the formal petition previously filed Seafreeze Inc (and others) that calls upon the government to immediately suspend “further construction and energy generation activity” of the near-completed Vineyard Wind off-shore wind project.
A new report from the Rhode Island Center for Freedom & Prosperity, titled Freezing in the Dark, warns that the Ocean State’s green energy mandates are pushing residents toward a future of unaffordable electricity and unreliable power. With some of the highest energy prices in the nation, Rhode Islanders are already feeling the impact of policies that outpace technological readiness and ignore infrastructure limitations.
THE STAGGERING COSTS AND RISKS OF RI’S GREEN ENERGY POLICIES COULD LEAVE FAMILIES FREEZING IN THE DARK
Providence, RI – The Rhode Island Center for Freedom and Prosperity has released a new report raising concerns about the state’s current approach to energy and climate policy. The report titled, “Freezing in the Dark: The Staggering Costs & Risks of RI’s Green Energy Policies,” provides an overview of how existing mandates and regulations could negatively impact electricity costs, grid reliability, and long-term infrastructure planning.
Due to decades of state legislative and executive actions on energy that are not supported by valid research or technologic advancements, Ocean State residents already pay some of the highest electricity prices in the country. In February of 2025, RI Energy President Greg Cornett admitted that it is indeed state public policy that is driving the high cost of electricity for Ocean State residents.
The publication outlines key policy developments in recent years and reviews statements from Rhode Island’s regulatory bodies and utility providers. It emphasizes the need for careful review of the costs and risks associated with rapid electrification and green energy expansion.
In developing a long-term energy strategy for Rhode Island, state lawmakers and department officials blindly prioritized adherence to politicized and arbitrary green energy targets, rather than seeking the most cost- effective and reliable means to meet anticipated future demands for electricity and to provide for a safe, reliable, and prosperous quality of life for the people of Rhode Island.
The report outlines two immediate actions Rhode Island lawmakers can take to demonstrate they recognize the serious challenges posed by the state’s current green energy strategy.
First, it recommends delaying all “Net Zero” energy milestone targets by at least 20 years to allow time for a more realistic evaluation of energy alternatives—an approach already being adopted by other states like New York.
Second, it calls for the repeal of Rhode Island’s electric vehicle mandate and withdrawal from the California-led CARB coalition, citing the lack of necessary federal support and the strain such policies would place on the state’s already overburdened electric grid.
At a long-term level, it is recommended that our state adopt a more realistic all-of-the-above energy strategy that would balance reliability, affordability, and sustainability by integrating diverse energy sources while minimizing environmental impacts.
This approach will maintain the well-being and quality of life for Ocean State residents, by ensuring a stable energy supply, reducing emissions, and supporting economic growth. An all-of-the-above energy approach all will address cost, capacity, environmental, and wildlife concerns through proper due diligence, careful planning, and continued innovation.
The RI Center for Freedom & Prosperity has signed-on to a regional coalition letter to protest California’s extreme and influential carbon emissions policies, along with 28 other organizations. On March 10, the Center’s CEO participated in a press conference with other coalition partners from New England.
Most Rhode Islanders do not realize, in addition to the costly and non-productive ‘green’ policies imposed upon them by state and federal lawmakers, that the Ocean State, along with 15 other states, is also beholden to enact emissions policies enacted by California.
At specific issue, is a California ban of the sale of vehicles with internal combustion engines (ICE), which Rhode Island must statutorily also adopt, which would dramatically drive up the cost of personal automobiles. As such, given the soaring energy costs across America, the regional coalition is recommending that member states work to “decouple” themselves from California’s increasingly oppressive and irrational policies.
The Center’s CEO, Mike Stenhouse, published an opinion piece representing many of the arguments put forth in the coalition letter, along with a link to the letter.
The Rhode Island Center for Freedom & Prosperity is pleased to join with dozens of our fellow think tank partners in support of keeping automobile prices low. California adopted statewide motor vehicle greenhouse gas (GHG) emission rules in September 2004 to impose very strict limits on the emission of CO2 from automobile tailpipes. While the federal Clean Air Act (CAA) generally preempts states from adopting their own motor vehicle emission regulations, CAA Section 209(b) allows the state to petition for a California waiver from that prohibition. If EPA grants such a waiver to California, other states may then adopt (without amendment, by legislation or executive order) the California regulatory regime.
In December 2005, California requested that EPA grant a waiver of preemption for its GHG regulations for automobiles. In April, 2007, the United States Supreme Court, in Massachusetts vs. EPA, empowered EPA to regulate CO2 under the Clean Air Act. As a result, the California waiver request came under active consideration at EPA. The request was denied in 2008 by the George W. Bush administration. However, in January 2009, the California Air Resources Board requested that EPA reconsider its denial. In July 2009, the Obama administration granted California’s waiver request, clearing the way for California to implement its motor vehicle GHG regulations – and for other states to follow suit.
Currently, 13 States – Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington – and the District of Columbia have adopted California’s stricter automobile emissions standards. In addition, nine – CT, ME, MD, MA, NJ, NY, OR, RI, and VT – have adopted California’s “zero emission vehicle” (ZEV) mandate.
STATEMENT – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 7, 2017
Providence, RI – Already ranking a dismal 45th in overall family prosperity, Rhode Islanders will soon suffer from a 16-21% increase on their electricity bills, making matters even worse. The nonpartisan RI Center for Freedom & Prosperity attributes these artificially high rates to state energy policies that serve to limit the supply of low-cost natural gas in the region and that mandate National Grid to purchase high-cost electricity from unreliable renewable energy producers.
In 2016, the Center forewarned of almost this exact level price increase (13-18%) in its report on the cost of renewable energy mandates.
This price increase is largely due to basic supply and demand forces. The supply of natural gas, which is used to produce low-cost and low-emission electricity, is severely limited due to inadequate natural-gas pipeline capacity into our ISO New England region. Renewable energy mandates and increased fees due to Rhode Island’s membership in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) exacerbate the problem.
“Today, every Rhode Island family and business more clearly understands the real cost of electing progressive Democrats into the General Assembly and of mainstream Democrats capitulating to their agenda,” commented Mike Stenhouse, CEO for the Center. “The way to spur private sector investment in expanded pipeline capacity is to provide market certainty by eliminating disincentives to produce and sell natural gas electricity.”
The Center laments that while much of the country is enjoying the benefits of abundant low-cost, low-emission natural gas electricity, Rhode Islanders, conversely, are suffering from policies that lead to lower available supplies of natural gas.
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As the state’s leading research organization, advancing family and business friendly values… the mission of our Center is to make Rhode Island a better place to call home – to raise a family and to build a career.
While progressives value government-centric, taxpayer-funded dependency… our Center believes in the value of hard work and the free-enterprise system.
We understand that in order for more Rhode Island families to have a better quality of life, that more and better businesses are needed to create more and better jobs.
Your donation will help us fight the union-progressive movement and, instead, advocate for pro-family, pro-business policies and values.
Please make a generous, tax-deductible gift to support our Center today!
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The price increases are not attributable to profit motives by National Grid. Rather, as advocated by progressives such as US Senator Sheldon Whitehouse and State Representative Aaron Regunberg, the federal and state assault on low-cost fossil fuel energy, combined with mandates to sell high-cost green energy, have artificially distorted the free-market, leading to dramatic price increases … with no discernible and offsetting environmental benefit.
Increased production of low-cost and low-emission energy derived from natural gas offers consumers and politicians an acceptable compromise solution. However, without increased pipeline capacity, such increased production is not possible, even if the proposed Burrillville natural gas energy plant were to come online.
The Center suggests that the path to lower electric prices is clear. First, repeal the mandates and subsidies for high-cost renewable energy. Second, clear away the regulations that create market uncertainty, creating a renewed incentive for the private sector to invest in increased natural gas pipeline capacity.
Just last week, the Center also issued a report on progressive bills, two of which would heap an additional $48 million annual burden on Ocean State ratepayers.
As the state’s leading research organization, advancing family and business friendly values… the mission of our Center is to make Rhode Island a better place to call home – to raise a family and to build a career.
While progressives value government-centric, taxpayer-funded dependency… our Center believes in the value of hard work and the free-enterprise system.
We understand that in order for more Rhode Island families to have a better quality of life, that more and better businesses are needed to create more and better jobs.
Your donation will help us fight the union-progressive movement and, instead, advocate for pro-family, pro-business policies and values.
Please make a generous, tax-deductible gift to support our Center today!