In recognition of President’s Day and George Washington’s upcoming birthday, the RI Center for Freedom & Prosperity today launched a video contest encouraging K-12 students to create a video about why they are proud to celebrate America’s semiquincentennial, commemorating the 250th Anniversary of the US Declaration of Independence.
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.
Cranston, RI – The Rhode Island Center for Freedom & Prosperity announced today that Dr. Stephen “Doc” Skoly has stepped down as Chairman of its Board of Directors to pursue a run for the US House of Representatives in Rhode Island’s second Congressional district.
In his January 7th letter to the Board, Skoly praised the Center for raising awareness about such important issues as our state’s unsustainable energy policies, advancing affordability policies, promoting medical freedom, and preserving parental rights in education each of which, he said, will provide him with a solid platform for his candidacy.
Doc Skoly became a statewide symbol for medical freedom in 2021 when he took a stand on behalf of all healthcare professionals and first responders and put his career at risk.
Already protected by natural immunity and with legitimate medical concerns of exacerbating his Bell’s Palsy condition, Skoly on the advice of his doctor chose not to comply with Rhode Island’s agenda-driven and experimental Covid-19 vaccine healthcare-worker mandate.
His decision, which history now shows was based on scientific truths, resulted in the vengeful and unconstitutional shuttering of his surgical practice for six months by the RI Department of Health.
Skoly’s related lawsuit challenging the vaccine mandate was never allowed to go to trial by both the Federal District Court in Rhode Island and the US First Circuit Court of Appeals.
“Americans at every turn must have the freedom to make their own personal, medical, educational, and economic choices,” commented Skoly. “This is what our Center stands for, because when there is more freedom, there is more prosperity.”
Skoly will maintain his seat on the Center’s board which will meet in late January to confer over the election of a new Chairman.
Release of this announcement was delayed to allow time for Dr. Skoly and his family to mourn the passing of his mother on January 10th.
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).
Cranston, RI – The Rhode Island Center for Freedom & Prosperity advises state policymakers to immediately begin work to construct a new and realistic energy strategy that will put the interests of the people first.
In a mortal blow to Rhode Island’s “Act On Climate” legislation, which set mandates and milestones for achieving “net zero” carbon emissions by 2050, the US government last Friday ordered a suspension to further construction of the Revolution Wind offshore wind farm project.
Even RI Attorney General Peter Neronha admitted that the state’s existing energy strategy is “dead in the water” without Revolution Wind. It is becoming increasingly evident that the false narratives put forth decades ago by climate alarmists should no longer be the basis of sound state or federal public policy.
“Lawmakers and environmental officials must dispel themselves of the false promises of offshore wind and the entire green energy agenda,” commented Mike Stenhouse, CEO for the Center. “Instead of our current strategy which seeks to power our state with low- or zero-carbon sources of energy, an unachievable goal by the way … Rhode Island’s new and reformed strategy should prioritize meeting the future AI driven energy demands by seeking to secure affordable, abundant, and reliable sources.”
Governor McKee is 100% wrong in claiming that the costly Revolution Wind project is an “affordable” solution for energy, also stating that thousands of jobs are at risk.
According to the Center, the real risk was taken years ago when state policymakers adopted an extremist energy strategy that was based on unproven science and false data.
The Center specifically recommends that the recently convened special Senate Commission on Energy, whose original charter was to evaluate Rhode Island’s compliance with the “Act On Climate” should recognize the dire urgency created by the state’s misguided energy strategy and instead shift its focus to making recommendations to slow down or repeal various components of the Act.
With electricity prices set to soar and with reliability expected to fall to dangerous levels under its current energy policies, in its May 2025 report, Freezing In The Dark, the Center recommended the state take immediate action, including realistic near- and mid-term strategic objectives:
Why the federal action? According to Suzanne Cienki, environmental attorney for the Law Centre at the RI Center for Freedom & Prosperity , “the US Department Of Interior” began a review process on Revolution Wind due to legal inconsistencies in the original permitting process. Additionally, the Bureau of Ocean energy Management ( BOEM ) has halted the project due to concerns over national security, ocean navigation, and rights to the ocean.”
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.
The Rhode Island Center for Freedom & Prosperity Congratulates CEO Mike Stenhouse on Induction into College Baseball Hall of Fame
Providence, RI – The Rhode Island Center for Freedom & Prosperity is proud to announce that CEO Mike Stenhouse has been named to the 2025 class of the College Baseball Hall of Fame.
“We are beyond excited to welcome the 2025 Hall of Fame Class as we continue our planning for what will become their ‘home’ in Overland Park, Kansas in the College Baseball Hall of Fame,” CEO/Executive Director of the CBF and College Baseball Hall of Fame Tom Jacobs said. “This is another stellar class that represent the absolute best of college baseball. We look forward to celebrating and honoring their accomplishments as well as those of our CBF award winners at the 2026 Night of Champions. We hope you will join us for their special evening!”
Stenhouse, a former Major League Baseball player for the Montreal Expos from 1982-1984, the Minnesota Twins in 1985, and the Boston Red Sox in 1986, has led the Rhode Island Center for Freedom & Prosperity since its founding. His induction reflects both his outstanding athletic career at Harvard University and continued contributions as a leader.
He played three seasons for the school’s baseball program (1977–1979) and was a two time All-Ivy Leaguer and hit .475 as a freshman in 1977, second-best in NCAA Division I.
Each year, more than 200 representatives nationwide vote on the College Baseball Hall of Fame induction class. The voting body is comprised of national and regional college baseball media, active and retired coaches, former players, former inductees, college baseball historians and members of the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR) collegiate baseball committee. The College Baseball Hall of Fame inducted its first class in 2006. Since that time, 175 players, coaches, umpires, administrators and contributors have been selected for induction.
To be eligible for the College Baseball Hall of Fame ballot, players must be out of college for 15 years and have completed one year of competition at a two-year institution in the CCCAA, NJCAA or a four-year NCAA (Division I, II or III) or NAIA institution.
The 2025 class will be honored at the 2026 Night of Champions on February 12, 2026 in Overland Park, Kansas, the home of the College Baseball Hall of Fame.
Highlighting the 2025 class are five Golden Spikes Award winners (Kip Bouknight – South Carolina; Mike Loynd – Florida State; Phil Nevin – Cal State Fullerton; David Price – Vanderbilt; and Stephen Strasburg – San Diego State) and eight other players, including former Southern Cal star Mark McGwire. Strasburg (2009 National Pitcher of the Year) and Price (2007 Brooks Wallace Award) join Alex Gordon (2005 Brooks Wallace Award) as previous CBF Award winners to also be selected for the Hall of Fame.
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.