This year, our top legislative priority in Rhode Island is the Building Decarbonization Act (H5493/S91), because the Ocean State is not currently on track to achieve the emissions reductions required by the Act on Climate. This is especially true in the building sector, which makes up over 35% of the state’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

The Building Decarbonization Act is a critical first step towards addressing emissions from both existing buildings and new buildings. The bill would require public and private buildings greater than 25,000 square feet to begin reporting their GHG emissions in preparation for performance standards, which will reduce emissions. The bill would also ensure all new construction is prepared for the future by requiring that new construction be electric-ready, ensuring buildings have the necessary electrical wiring and capacity to support a future retrofit to electric appliances. Read more about the bill here.  

Call the Governor and Speaker!

Take action by calling Governor McKee or Speaker Shekarchi’s office! You can speak to a staff member or leave a message. Your voice is needed to help legislators understand the importance of passing the bill this session.

Governor McKee's office phone number: (401) 222-2080

Speaker Shekarchi’s office phone number: (401) 222-2447 

Here’s what to say: “Hello, my name is [Name], and I live in [City/Town], RI. I am calling to ask [Governor McKee/Speaker Shekarchi] to support the Building Decarbonization Act (H-5493, and S-91) and sign it into law this session.”

You can also call your local legislators!

You can also take action by calling or emailing your local legislators. Find their contact information below. Once you access the website, scroll down to your legislator's image and click on it. You will find their email and phone number.  

• Representative’s contact information
• Senators’ contact information
• Don't know who your legislators are? Log in to your voter registration portal to view your voter record. This will indicate who your local legislators are.

Here's what you can say in a call or email to your legislators: “Hello, my name is [Name], and I live in [City/Town], RI. I am calling to ask [Your Representative/Your Senator] to support the Building Decarbonization Act (H-5493, and S-91) and sign it into law this session. Reducing emissions from our large buildings is key to meeting the requirements in the Act on Climate.”

Feel free to add a personal story about why you feel decarbonizing Rhode Island’s large buildings is important. Don't feel like you need to explain exactly what the bill does or how it will work; focus on why you care about climate action.  

Thank you for your support!