Rhode Island leaped forward within the race to 100% renewable energy final week as Governor Dan McKee signed a invoice that will mandate the state attain the goal by 2033, probably the most aggressive state goal to date. Solely Oregon comes shut, and it’s capturing for 2040.
In some respects, Rhode Island has it straightforward. With a inhabitants of slightly over 1 million folks, it’s smaller than many metro areas, so switching to renewables isn’t the large endeavor it might be in California or Texas.
However alternatively, renewables have a tendency to wish numerous house, and the state’s 1 million individuals are tightly packed — Rhode Island is the second most densely populated state within the nation.
Whereas Rhode Island could not have house, it does have loads of open water blessed with sturdy and constant winds, which makes it a super place for offshore wind. Which is why the state’s swift transfer to renewable energy is as a lot about addressing local weather change as it’s about securing the state’s financial future.
