PROVIDENCE, R.I. — 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.

Titled Freezing in the Dark: The Staggering Costs & Risks of RI’s Green Energy Policies, the report authored by Monique Chartier claims state lawmakers have enacted agenda-driven climate mandates without performing the necessary due diligence, jeopardizing both affordability and reliability for Ocean State families.

According to the report, Rhode Islanders already endure some of the highest electricity prices in the country, a problem exacerbated by state-imposed energy mandates. RI Energy President Greg Cornett acknowledged in February that state policy is a key driver of those costs.

The report draws on warnings from the RI Public Utilities Commission, RI Energy, and ISO-New England all of which have raised red flags about affordability and capacity. ISO-New England stated that complete electrification of heating and transportation “is possible, but involves significant cost and unresolved reliability concerns.”

The Center’s findings suggest that, unless reversed, current state policies could result in unaffordable energy prices, blackouts, and even life-threatening winter outages. “It appears Ocean State lawmakers were willfully ignorant of the facts,” the report states, adding that Rhode Island has no credible infrastructure plan to meet surging electric demand.

The report is also critical of the environmental impacts associated with green energy technologies, citing pollution from mining rare-earth materials, habitat destruction, and the looming issue of waste disposal for EV batteries and solar panels.

To address these challenges, the Center recommends that Rhode Island immediately:

1. Delay all Net Zero milestones by at least 20 years;

2. Repeal the state’s electric vehicle mandate and withdraw from the California-led CARB coalition.

Looking further ahead, the Center calls for an all-of-the-above energy strategy that includes expanding natural gas pipelines, removing restrictions on nuclear innovation, and only expanding renewables when they become cost-effective and environmentally sustainable. In the wake of a federal policy shift under the 47th President, and amidst growing voter resistance to costly climate mandates, the report urges state officials to reconsider their approach before more residents are left out in the cold.

As Chartier concludes, “To best serve the well-being of their constituents, elected and appointed officials must come to grips with actual research findings and re-craft a realistic state energy strategy.”