2023 Highlights:

• The RI Senate passed a state budget that increased funding for the EC4, which is responsible for Rhode Island’s climate change strategy and meeting the RI Act on Climate goals
• I introduced and passed legislation that puts Rhode Island on track to be the earliest adopter of 2024 International Energy Conservation Codes. This will greatly reduce energy usage and utility bills in new residential and commercial buildings.
• Listen to our conversation on climate resiliency on WBLQ FM 103.1 Resiliency Radio Hour https://victoria4ri.com/wblq-resiliency-hour-dec23/

• I introduced and passed the Act on Coasts, which will require the state to create a coastal resiliency plan and update it every 2 years (read more)
• I co-sponsored the Building Decarbonization Act, which passed the Senate but not the House. Going forward, this will be a key piece of legislation to benchmark emissions in large buildings (15,000+ sq ft) and reduce them over time.

Westerly, Charlestown, and South Kingstown are at the frontlines of climate change. Sea level rise, tidal flooding, and severe weather events are affecting our groundwater and infrastructure. Septic systems are in danger of failing more often. The summer drought caused some households’ wells to go dry. Our coastal ponds are warming, and that is affecting the marine ecosystem. Climate change is here, and we have a limited time window to act.

In order to fulfill Rhode Island’s Act on Climate objectives, we need to decarbonize the energy grid, transportation, homes, and industry:

– In transportation: we must build out an effective and accessible EV charging network across the state and invest in electric-powered public transportation. Westerly residents reached out to me because they want to bring CT commuter rail to Rhode Island, so I formed a monthly working group and have been actively meeting with other elected officials to seek funding to upgrade Westerly Station.

– In homes: we must provide credits and support for installing electric heat pumps and stoves, funding for energy efficiency improvements, and low-carbon building standards for future developments

– In industry: we must fund research and incentives to decarbonize different industries as much as possible and as quickly as possible.

– In the electric grid: RI has set a goal for 100% renewable energy by 2033, and that requires building up our renewable energy sector. If we become energy-independent, meaning we’re producing our own energy locally, it’ll help us avoid the huge price swings with global oil and natural gas prices. It’ll also be affordable to households: Revolution Wind- a project off the coast of RI and CT- will be selling energy at 9.84 cents per kilowatt hour, which is almost half the current winter energy rates in Rhode Island (17.85 cents per kilowatt hour).

We should expand credits and incentives for rooftop solar and solar on pre-existing community or industrial sites. We also need to modernize the energy grid to handle these new sources of energy, and invest in energy storage and energy transmission.