Democratic Gov. Dan McKee’s bid to slash Rhode Island’s climate programs in the name of affordability has fizzled.
State lawmakers are advancing a budget deal that excludes the major climate policy changes that McKee proposed earlier this year in response to climbing electricity bills. The legislation, scheduled for a House vote Friday, instead makes smaller changes to Rhode Island’s renewable energy standard while maintaining the state’s overarching policy frameworks and targets.
The budget deal, which is expected to pass both chambers largely intact, marks a win for environmental groups, labor unions and renewable developers who found themselves defending climate programs against both Trump administration rollbacks and a Democratic governor who said those federal changes made state action too expensive.
McKee — facing a competitive primary challenge as he seeks a second full term this year — had made lowering power bills a cornerstone of this year’s budget proposal. He proposed capping ratepayer-funded energy efficiency spending, nixing the state’s 2033 deadline for zero-emission electricity and adding new fees for renewable energy projects.
