Brown University think-tank report on how to speed up transforming local energy systems

A team from Brown University’s Climate and Development Lab (CDL), Synapse Energy Economics, and Climable released a report Power Play: Actions for New England’s Equitable Energy Transition, which details findings from a dozen workshops the CDL held in each New England state capital, including Rhode Island. Both an academic report and a plain-language ‘playbook’ were released. 

The report is described as including specific comments on what the RI legislature, the Governor and state agencies, and the Public Utility Commission need to do to speed up the transformation of State energy systems so that we can meet the climate targets now made law.

The report – along with a user-friendly version – can be found, here: REPORTS

The report notes, “As we work towards addressing climate change through decarbonization and electrification, a necessary part of ending fossil fuel use, we will all come to rely on electricity and the electricity grid even more. This means we will increasingly be dependent on an electric grid, and as this reliance on electricity grows, the role of the PUC will also become even more critical. Their decisions will impact more people in bigger ways. However, PUCs may not be ready for their evolving role.

We wanted to shed some light on the importance of PUCs, what options people have to get involved in the energy transition we need, and ways decision-making can be improved. We did some initial background research on successes and challenges that is in a report that is available at www.climable.org/brown.

From March through November of 2022, we met with stakeholders of all kinds, from PUC Commissioners to state representatives to utility employees to Tribal Nations, advocates,
activists, and community-based organizations. We hosted in-person and virtual workshops in each state and offered follow-up one-on-one debriefs. This process allowed us to gather many ideas from a wide
variety of experiences and perspectives. We heard many people wanting to have more input in PUC decision-making and that participating in PUC processes is time-consuming, costly, intimidating,
overwhelming, and hard to understand.”

“For making our energy system more secure, clean, and affordable, state public utility commissions are the most important institutions most people don’t know anything about.”

– Graham Richard, former CEO of Advanced Energy Economy Institute

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About the CDL: Brown University’s Climate and Development Lab (CDL) is a think tank based at the Institute at Brown for Environment & Society (IBES). The CDL produces timely, accessible, impactful research that informs a more just and effective climate change policy. We work with leading actors in government, civil society, and the media around the world in an attempt to bring about change by identifying and filling essential research gaps and generating ideas for action on climate change. The CDL fosters transformational learning experiences by equipping Brown students with the tools to effectively shape policy and explore the intersections between climate change, development, and global governance. We focus on issues of equity, justice, and climate finance, with a regional focus on Least Developed Countries, small island developing states, Latin America, and the United States.

Summary of the Report: