Even as evidence grows that offshore wind energy will never meet is over-hyped cost and production projections, Ocean State lawmakers doubled down in 2026 on their non-sensical and dangerous commitment to their green energy Act On Climate agenda. Now, new data proves how unreliable offshore wind can truly be. Because of misguided public policy by […]
Climate and energy analysts say that British publication The Telegraph’s admission that strict climate policies have had a disastrous impact on their nation is “better late than never,” with some welcoming the newspaper to the “reality” that even if a climate crisis existed, humans are powerless to stop it.
President and co-founder of The Committee for a Constructive Tomorrow Craig Rucker told The Center Square that “it’s refreshing to finally see the editor of a major British newspaper state the obvious: net zero has been an abysmal failure.”
Ocean State politicians continue to risk massive price hikes and black-outs by insisting Rhode Island remain on the dubious path of over-reliance on wind energy, ignoring massive concerns that have long been known about the recently completed Vineyard Wind project off the coast of Massachusetts and which threatens to plague all future offshore wind projects. […]
Residents in New England pay more for electricity than nearly all others, according to the Energy Affordability 2026 report from the American Legislative Exchange Council.
Slightly more than half of American voters say they at least “somewhat trust” the American power grid, according to a new poll. The Center Square Voters’ Voice Poll found that 55% of American voters said they completely or somewhat trust the American power grid. When that figure is broken down, 42% of voters said they only “somewhat trust” the power grid and 13% of voters said they “completely trust” the power grid. But 37% of voters say they don’t trust the grid, including 13% who “completely distrust” it.
As of the most recent update to this post, over 50 Rhode Islanders have signed the petition calling on state policymakers to adopt energy policies that will provide for affordable and abundant energy supplies for the residents of our state … instead of ‘net zero’ policies that will drive electricity prices and energy costs to staggering and unaffordable levels. Check back regularly for updated commentary.
Climate and energy experts have praised President Donald Trump’s recent elimination of former President Barack Obama’s Endangerment Finding, with several noting the freedom the action will bring to the auto industry and others stating this is only a beginning step.
In this powerful testimony, Mike Stenhouse, CEO of the RI Center for Freedom & Prosperity, explains why energy policy 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.
One of the big selling points for proponents of offshore wind here in Rhode Island has been: “Look at how Deepwater Wind lowered Block Island’s electric rates!” This was, in fact, one of the things that Senator Sam Zurier said, at Minute 12:00, in his interview “In the Dugout” with Mike Stenhouse a couple of […]
The Rhode Island Center for Freedom & Prosperity announced Thursday that it has launched an online petition calling on state policymakers to reconsider Rhode Island’s current energy strategy, arguing it could lead to higher electricity costs and increased risks to grid reliability.
On ENERGY STORAGE NOW NOW NOW! Renewable energy, which has been mandated by Rhode Island’s 2021 Act on Climate, does not work as an energy source for the electric grid absent a major, toxic and costly energy storage infrastructure. From their testimony, the RI PUC does not appear to oppose such an infrastructure but they believe it should be added via a deliberative, prudent process. Instead, though, eager, pro-green energy legislators – just get it built; we have to save the planet!!1!! – filed an energy storage mandate bill, H7811, now law, in 2024 to recklessly accelerate the addition of such an energy storage infrastructure. In testimony on the bill, the PUC raised serious concerns about the “substantial” cost to ratepayers and tight timeframe of the bill’s mandates, saying in part,
In 2025, lawmakers created a special Senate commission ‘to study and provide recommendations for potential changes’ to our state’s Act On Climate energy mandates. It was expected that this five-member Senate commission would meet regularly and include public comment, but Chairman Sam Zurier has not yet convened a meaningful hearing.
PUBLISHER’s NOTE: In yet another example of how policymakers failed to conduct any level of appropriate cost-vs-benefit analysis when they set our state upon a “net zero” strategy and passed RI’s “Act On Climate” in 2021, it has now come to light that there has been zero planning for the payment and disposal of wind […]
PUBLISHER’s NOTE: This administrative ruling by the US government may not be the last. On August 18, 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 […]
The Army Corps of Engineers is Reviewing the Petition Filed By Green Oceans and A Coalition of Tribal Nations, Fishing Organizations, and Conservation Groups to Revoke Revolution Wind’s Permit The petition cites National Security Risks, Environmental Harm, and Misleading Economic Claims as bases for Revocation. According to Green Oceans, based in Little Compton, RI, the […]
The following analysis is from the Substack posting of Allen Brooks, energy expert, Senior Fellow at the National Center for Energy Analytics, and is frequent guest on In The Dugout with Mike Stenhouse. Energy Musings – July 7, 2025 Offshore wind has become a legal battleground. We decided to update our performance charts on the […]
PUBLISHER’S NOTE: Allen Brooks is national energy expert and is a two-time guest on the “In The Dugout with Mike Stenhouse” podcast, with his most recent appearance on this very topic viewable here: https://oceanstatecurrent.com/in-the-dugout-june-02-2025/ Energy Musings – June 2, 2025 A new report – Freezing in the Dark – from the RI Center for Freedom […]
A newly released report from the Rhode Island Center for Freedom and Prosperity warns that the state’s aggressive green energy agenda could leave residents literally freezing in the dark, as ratepayer costs surge and grid reliability falters under mounting pressure. State lawmakers have enacted agenda-driven climate mandates without performing the necessary due diligence, jeopardizing both affordability and reliability for Ocean State families.
PUBLISHER’S NOTE: This column from energy expert, Allen Brooks, was posted on his “Energy Musings” Substack account on April 10, 2025. It reaffirms that it is public policy that causes high electricity and energy rates for Ocean Staters. Neither RI Energy or the PUC are to blame … it is the radical “net zero” policies […]
In this episode of State of the State, host Richard August sits down with Mike Stenhouse, CEO of the Rhode Island Center for Freedom and Prosperity, to discuss the latest political and policy developments affecting Rhode Island and beyond. The conversation kicks off with an analysis of President Trump’s second term and the progressive left’s struggle to counter his rapid policy agenda. They also dive into Rhode Island’s transgender sports policies, questioning the legal foundation behind state regulations and the broader implications for fairness in athletics.
Oil and natural gas innovations and investments over several decades has contributed to the economic growth and individual prosperity of not just the United States of America but of the free world. During President Trump’s first administration the US became energy independent and was the envy of the world. This position resulted in unprecedented low […]
As the 45th Annual New England and Eastern Canadian Premiers (NEG-ECP) conference begins in Boston this week, a coalition of taxpayer watchdog nonprofit organizations from across New England is calling on governors to address concerns about energy affordability and the economic effects of the renewable energy transition.
Rhode Island’s Lawsuit vs Big Oil is a Donor-Funded Assault on Families The administrative state is at it again. The unchecked and ongoing assault on families, motorists, and homeowners – by our own government – could soon heap even more costs upon all of us. It’s called “law-fare”. And similar to America’s Civil War … […]
PUBLISHER’S NOTE from Mike Stenhouse: One by one, US states are decoupling their energy policies from the oppressive emissions policies set forth by the California Air Resources Board (CARB) … yet Rhode Island lawmakers refuse to free Ocean State motorists from unattainable and costly CARB mandates. If Rhode Island does not change course, and away […]
PUBLISHER’S NOTE (Mike Stenhouse): The RI Center for Freedom & Prosperity has agreed to co-sign the national coalition letter to the EPA (see below). For years, the Center has raised awareness about the folly of the Electric Vehicle mandates proposed by the California Air Resources Board (CARB), which, by law, our Ocean State must adhere […]
PUBLISHER’S NOTE: The Ocean State Current and our RI Center for Freedom & Prosperity have published dozens of reports, columns, and interviews on the subject of energy policy for our Ocean State. A major new study by the Mackinac Center clearly supports our claims and recommendations over the past dozen years that wind and solar […]
Originally published by the Providence Journal, March 10. 2024 as: Time for RI to drop use of California’s unattainable emissions mandate by Mike Stenhouse Guest columnist Ocean State lawmakers should follow the lead of the Biden administration and Connecticut and reconsider Rhode Island’s commitment to the California Air Resources Board (CARB) and its costly and […]
Rhode Island lawmakers and agency bureaucrats have crafted an energy strategy and related policies that are not reflective of reality: The much ballyhooed state goal of becoming the first “net zero” carbon emissions state in America by 2050. Given current technology, such “green” ambitions are impossible to achieve from a production capacity perspective, would severely […]
California Chamber of Commerce sues to block state laws mandating emissions reporting and climate risk disclosures, citing First Amendment violations. The lawsuit challenges SB 261 and SB 253 for compelling inaccurate statements and imposing disproportionate burdens on businesses, raising concerns over potential impacts on small enterprises.