Rhode Island Leaders Collaborate on Roadmap for the State’s Green Economy

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June 26, 2009 | Print this page | Share This |

The Rhode Island Green Economy Roundtable Aims to Accelerate Green Job Growth

Governor Donald L. Carcieri, House Speaker William J. Murphy, Senate President M. Teresa Paiva Weed and the Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation (RIEDC) today hosted the Green Economy Roundtable, aimed at identifying the state’s unique green economic opportunities and accelerating green-sector job growth. The event was held at the Crowne Plaza Hotel at the Crossings in Warwick, Rhode Island.

“The Roundtable is an exciting chance to exchange ideas and share insights on how best to develop a cohesive strategy to grow the green economy in our state,” Governor Carcieri said.

The Green Economy Roundtable is a product of RIEDC’s 2009 Economic Growth Plan, which proposes to accelerate the pace of job growth in Rhode Island through 10 concrete action items, including developing a clear focus for the expansion of Rhode Island’s renewable energy capabilities.

“It’s imperative that Rhode Island seize the current green economy opportunities, bring together invested stakeholders and build a cohesive plan to further develop a strong economy and increase the sustainable job force,” said J. Michael Saul, RIEDC’s interim executive director. “Rhode Island’s renewable energy resources, our state’s commitment to energy efficiency and our wealth of ‘green tech’ talent give our state enormous potential to become the epicenter of the emerging alternative energy market.”

The working session brought together more than 125 leaders in the green sector — from environmentalists to developers, government leaders to educators — who collaborated on defining a roadmap for Rhode Island’s green economy and advancing green-sector job growth. Attendees were divided into different “working groups” and tasked with determining a strategic action plan to accelerate growth in the green economy.

The facilitator for the event was Jay W. Vogt of Peoplesworth Consulting, a firm that helps organizations discover greater creativity, spirit and harmony in their workplaces.

Kicking off the Green Economy Roundtable’s activities was the signing of groundbreaking legislation that requires the state’s largest electric utility to enter into long-term contracts to purchase power from renewable energy producers in Rhode Island. Governor Carcieri, Speaker Murphy and Senate President Paiva Weed joined House Majority Leader Gordon Fox, Senator Josh Miller and other lawmakers and renewable-energy proponents at the official bill signing.

“It is most fitting that we sign landmark renewable energy legislation at today’s Roundtable,” Governor Carcieri said. “Enacting this law will accelerate our efforts to be the first state in the nation to have an offshore wind farm, and it will open the door of opportunity for us to have large-scale renewable energy projects, greater price stabilization for consumers, and more green jobs in Rhode Island. We have the natural resources and the skilled workforce, and now with this important legislation we have the regulatory environment that is critical to spur the development of this industry.”

“This historic legislation is one of the most significant accomplishments of the legislative session," said Speaker Murphy. "Not only is this a firm commitment to significantly lessen our state’s impact on the Earth by reducing our reliance on limited resources that cause pollution, but it is also a definitive investment in our green economy, creating a lasting market that will grow, will provide new jobs for Rhode Islanders, and will help make technological advances that will provide new opportunities and an improved quality of life in our state.”

The long-term contracting bill is expected to help large-scale renewable energy projects in Rhode Island attract the private financing they need, by guaranteeing there will be a market for the energy they produce. Deepwater Wind, the state’s offshore wind partner, has proposed building two wind farms off the coast of Rhode Island: A wind farm with five to eight turbines about three miles off of Block Island, and a utility-scale wind farm with about 100 turbines, roughly 15 miles from nearest landfall.

“Rhode Island is uniquely positioned to be a national leader in the green economy," said Senate President Paiva Weed. "Today's Roundtable discussion brings together leaders from a range of sectors to focus on the advancement of this objective. We hope to achieve a consensus vision and action plan for ways to foster the creation of green jobs in Rhode Island.”