“All you have to say is Rhode Island Energy, and most people in our state will instinctively groan.
“In one way or another, we’re all experiencing it.
“Our energy costs are skyrocketing – with an ever-increasing share from “delivery” charges.
“We are almost solely dependent on natural gas for both electricity and heating. We are dealing with its price volatility (largely due to geopolitical events like the president invading Iran or Russia invading Ukraine - and things outside of our local control) today, and will continue to deal with its pollution for decades to come.
“We have a single utility company that is a “regulated monopoly,” whose shareholders profit from building infrastructure and have a documented history of fighting policies that could benefit ratepayers.
“Our neighbors are getting their energy shut off just before extreme heat waves because protections only exist in the winter. I just recently helped an older neighbor with a partner with a disability exacerbated by darkness who was surprised when her electricity was shut off right before a heat wave – and had been told she needed to pay thousands of dollars before it could be turned back on.
“And our state hasn’t updated our energy plan in well over a decade, leaving us entirely unprepared to handle today’s rising and changing demands—from climate-related extreme heat events to the rise of AI and data centers across the region.
“That’s the bad news. The good news? It doesn’t have to be like this.
“The biggest opportunity of the Lieutenant Governor’s office is to take on hard, systemic challenges and work across the government to implement real solutions. Not just nibbling around the edges – actually getting at the core of the issue, and addressing it head-on.
“For too long, we have allowed an out-of-state company (PPL Corporation, which you know as Rhode Island Energy) to control our electric and gas systems for the benefit of their shareholders. It’s time to put the power back in the hands of Rhode Islanders.
“As your next Lieutenant Governor, I will hustle from Day 1 to tackle our energy crisis.
“What does this mean? It means implementing an energy strategy designed to serve the needs of Rhode Islanders.
“It means diversifying our energy sources away from natural gas and oil, which are produced out of state (often out of the country), require incredibly expensive infrastructure, and devastate the environment that Rhode Island so cherishes.
“It means investing in clean, local energy sources built by skilled union laborers.
“It means developing a distribution system that puts ratepayers first.
“It means modernizing our grid strategically and cost-effectively, while prioritizing energy efficiency.
“It means stabilizing energy rates for Rhode Islanders already struggling to afford to live. It means protecting our neighbors and elders from last-minute shutoffs. And so much more.
“But how? Fortunately, this question has already been answered.
“Our state’s energy office has invested millions in studies and plans. The Public Utilities Commission has an unreleased “Future of Gas” report that I participated in, exploring how we wind down our overreliance on gas. And some of us have already started to do the work.
“In my past four years on the Providence City Council, I have passed countless pieces of legislation to address our energy issues.
“I committed Providence to being the nation’s first “Climate Jobs City.” I partnered with labor unions and the Climate Jobs coalition to ensure we weren’t building a green economy on the backs of working people, but rather with working people.
“I passed the Building Energy Reporting Ordinance, Carbon Neutral Buildings Act, and the city’s Green Revolving Fund. Between these three pieces of legislation, the City of Providence has stabilized and actually decreased our energy bills. Now, we can use those savings to reinvest in green infrastructure, without relying on political will from the federal government.
“I required the utility to treat our neighbors with respect, or else get fined. They can no longer tear up the roads with no notice - leaving our roads in disarray for weeks and sometimes months. Now they will need to pay a real fine if they don’t treat us and our infrastructure with respect.
“This is just a small sample of the kind of leadership I will bring to the Lieutenant Governor’s office. I will not just talk the talk – I will leverage my expertise and strong relationships throughout the state, and hustle each day to deliver the results that Rhode Islanders deserve.”
Sue Anderbois is running for Lieutenant Governor in the Democratic Primary on September 9, 2026.
Rhode Island Energy does what Rhode Island Energy does when legislative leaders appoint industry insiders to the Rhode Island Public Utilities Commission. That's why utility profits have increased by 400% over the last two decades. The Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis has documented this for years. See the chart in this post, Rhode Island Energy's Rolling Rip-Off: https://peternightingale.substack.com/p/rhode-island-energys-rolling-rip
Not so hard to figure out, one would think.
I agree that rather than depend on volatile and expensive fossil fuels for energy, it is better to emphasize renewables. That seems obvious, yet Governor McKee just doubled down on his insistence on in effect defunding renewables.
As for the utility, I agree out of state ownership hurts Rhode Island as has happened not just for electricity but also to our banks, newspapers, TV and radio stations, department stores, groceries... And I understand the political temptation to blame high prices on the utility even as a big part of that is US support for the Ukraine war and our aggression against Iran. Indeed I'd like to see some effort to make RI Energy and ally in the need to electrify transportation and heating For that we need a well maintained robust grid so we have a common interest in that