The McKee Administration has recognized 26 state and quasi-government agencies, municipalities, and public schools for their renewable energy and energy efficiency achievements at its Fifth Annual Lead by Example Clean Energy Awards ceremony.

In 2021, Governor Dan McKee signed into law the Act on Climate, which sets mandatory, enforceable climate emissions reduction goals leading the state to achieve net-zero emissions economy-wide by 2050. The Administration’s "Lead by Example" program, led by the Office of Energy Resources, is working to reduce public sector energy consumption and costs through the adoption of clean energy solutions, such as energy efficiency, renewables, electric vehicles, and clean heating alternatives. These investments are shrinking carbon footprints across state and local governments, reducing operating costs, and supporting clean energy jobs.

Lead by Example Energy Award-Winners:

Public School – Central Falls School District

Municipality – Town of Smithfield

State Agency – Rhode Island Army National Guard

State Agency – Department of Corrections

Quasi-Public Agency – Quonset Development Corporation

A recording of the award ceremony is available on YouTube.

We are proud to recognize one of the winners of the 2022 Lead by Example Clean Energy Awards – The Rhode Island Army National Guard (RIARNG)

In 2020, RIARNG installed its first rooftop solar PV system on the Camp Fogarty Armory building. At the time, it was the largest rooftop solar PV system on a state facility at 207 KW.

In 2021, the RIARNG began construction on an even larger rooftop solar PV system at 550 KW. This solar system is on the Combined Support Maintenance Shop (CSMS) located at the Camp Fogarty Regional Training Site. The CSMS is an 80,000 square foot maintenance shop that was constructed in 2010.

Read the rest of the article here.

Abbie Hasenfus joined OER in February 2022 as programming services officer. We are delighted to have her on our team and asked her to introduce herself to our readers.

Please share with us your information about your background. 

In 2019, I joined URI’s Energy Fellowship program and was placed at OER, where I worked specifically on outreach work for the Farm Energy Program. I graduated from URI in 2020 with a BS in Environmental and Natural Resource Economics (ENRE), a Minor in Marine affairs, and a certificate in Energy Economics and Policy. I returned to URI during the pandemic to complete a master’s in Environmental Economics. My research pertained to energy justice through grid modernization, specifically studying how peaker power plants influence the socioeconomic characteristics of their surrounding neighborhoods.

The Rhode Island Energy Efficiency and Resource Management Council (EERMC) is currently seeking proposals for two different opportunities.

The first opportunity is to provide trainings to K-12 teachers throughout Rhode Island on a Rhode Island-specific energy curriculum. The EERMC is seeking a vendor to provide five half-day trainings to K-12 teachers in the fall and winter of 2022. Trainings should consist of both in-person and virtual participation options.

The second opportunity is to facilitate a public forum and lecture series on current topics in energy. The EERMC is seeking a vendor to plan and facilitate one public forum and three lectures on relevant energy matters in 2022. The forum is expected to be a facilitated conversation about a current energy topic while the lectures can be informational lessons exploring more specific energy questions. The selected offeror will be expected to work closely with the EERMC, the EERMC’s consultant team and the Office of Energy Resources to select relevant topics and speakers for events. Hybrid events with both an in-person and virtual participation option are preferred.

The proposal submission deadline for each of these opportunities is Friday, June 3rd. To learn more, including instructions for applying, please visit: https://rieermc.ri.gov/request-for-proposals/.