Conservation Law Foundation

Yesterday, Rhode Island stopped an eleventh-hour push to pass a bill that would allow utility companies to own power plants in the state. The move would have rewritten a 30-year-old law prohibiting such ownership, potentially leaving energy customers responsible for the costs of expensive power plant investments.

This attempt to overturn the law tried to take advantage of the very end of a legislative session, which would have allowed the bill to skirt thorough review and public scrutiny of its potential impacts.

CLF and other environmental advocates quickly raised concerns about the proposal, prompting lawmakers to pull the bill from consideration. The decision marks a significant victory and preserves longstanding protections for Rhode Island energy customers.

The conversation around offshore wind has gotten loud, and in a lot of cases, intentionally misleading.

Protecting marine life and transitioning away from fossil fuels are not opposing goals. Both matter, and both require decisions grounded in science, not fear-based narratives funded by the fossil fuel industry.

Healthy oceans depend on reducing carbon pollution, limiting offshore drilling, and investing in renewable energy solutions that are developed responsibly alongside strong wildlife protections.

Read more: https://www.clf.org/blog/do-offshore-wind-farms-kill-whales-evidence-says-no/