We're excited to announce the start of something good in Rhode Island. Seven cities and towns have adopted “green municipal aggregation” as a way to add more renewable energy to their electricity supply affordably. Here’s the Magnificent Seven: Barrington, Central Falls, Narragansett, Newport, Portsmouth, Providence, and South Kingstown. Better yet, starting in May, customers enrolled in these aggregations will pay a lower rate than what would be charged by Rhode Island Energy.

Customers of those seven communities who are enrolled in Rhode Island Energy’s “Last Resort Service” will be automatically enrolled in the aggregation program unless they opt out, which they can do now or at any time without penalty.   

In these communities, the electricity supply will include five percent (5%) more new renewable energy than required by state law. In 2023, the state mandate is 23%, so the aggregation will actually produce a 22% increase (5 divided by 23) in the amount of wind and solar in the mix. Most, if not all, of the incremental 5% will come from resources located right here in the Ocean State, as the map below shows.

What’s it going to cost?

The aggregations will charge 9.361 cents per kilowatt hour (kWh) for the product, compared to Rhode Island Energy’s 10.675 cents, but as said the aggregation product will have more local green power. For the average customer using 500 kilowatt-hours per month, the savings would be $6.57 per month.  

Customers also have the option of “opting up” to a product that has 50% or 100% local green power. The costs for 50% and 100% are 10.22 and 12.321 cents per kWh, respectively.  This table shows the details associated with each product in comparison with Rhode Island Energy’s Last Resort service.

What if I already get renewable energy from Green Energy Consumers? 

GreenUp/Green Powered customers will not automatically be enrolled in these programs, but we recommend you enroll in your community's 100% option. GreenUp will be automatically cancelled when you do.

Many people in Rhode Island already receive renewable energy service from Green Energy Consumers through the GreenUp program facilitated by Rhode Island Energy.  If you are one of those people, thank you! You’ve been a pioneer. With that program, Green Energy Consumers “greens up” the Last Resort product at an additional charge that you pay through your monthly bill.  We are very proud of that program and see it as the inspiration for green municipal aggregation. But because aggregation works at a large scale, the cost per kilowatt hour is lower with the aggregation. For that reason, if you are in one of the Magnificent Seven, it makes perfect sense to switch your service from GreenUp to the aggregation.  That is what we recommend.

Whether you switch or not, you will get renewable energy from the same sources and you will be supporting our humble Providence-based nonprofit organization.  

If you switch to your municipality's program (have your account number handy): 

• Nothing about how you pay your electric bill will change. You will still receive and pay the bill through Rhode Island Energy.
• Your participation in Green Powered/GreenUp will automatically be cancelled. 

• You will still support new Rhode Island renewable energy sources. 

If you do nothing: 

• You will not be enrolled in the aggregation. 
• You will continue to receive green electricity through Green Powered/GreenUp.