A DC-based environmental advocacy group gives Rhode Island a D and Massachusetts an F for their renewable energy law known as the Renewable Portfolio Standard.
The standard is a mandatory program that encourages renewable energy generation by requiring utility companies to supply a certain percentage of their energy from green resources.
The group Food and Water Watch said that mandate, which is law in 29 states, accounts for more than half of all domestic renewable energy growth since 2000.
However, the group recently released a report that accuses Rhode Island and Massachusetts of “cleanwashing” their energy resources, which the ogranization defines as labeling certain types of renewable energy resources as clean when they actually contribute to air pollution.
Massachusetts’ and Rhode Island’s standard allows utility companies to sell energy generated from burning wood and other biomass materials. Food and Water Watch claims those resources are harmful to the environment.
However, the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources said state law requires all biomass generators emit 50 percent less greenhouse gases than a natural gas power plant.
Officials added, in 2016, less than one percent of the renewable energy that was required by the standard came from biomass.
The Rhode Island Office of Energy Resources said they disagree with the grade. Officials said it doesn’t reflect Governor Gina Raimondo’s goal to reach 1,000 megawatts of clean energy by 2020, which is nearly 40 percent of the state’s energy needs.
They added, the vast majority of Rhode Island’s current and proposed clean energy comes from wind and solar power.
Food and Water Watch also factored into its grades how quickly each state plans to transition to 100 percent wind, solar and geothermal energy and whether a state offers renewable energy credits, which allows utilities to buy renewable energy from other states instead of producing it themselves.
