Issue Position: Sue Sosnowski supports renewable energy and environmental protection.

Issue Position

As Chairwoman of the Senate Committee on Environment and Agriculture, Sue Sosnowski has championed a number of laws that help Rhode Island develop renewable energy sources and protect the quality of our environment.

The most notable Senator Sosnowski sponsored will save the Block Island wind farm proposal. That legislation:

Provides new protections for ratepayers, including a cap on the price of the renewable energy produced.
Expands review of the proposed long-term contract with National Grid.
Will make Rhode Island the first state in the country with an offshore wind farm, an incentive for new wind turbine businesses to locate in Rhode Island.

Other important environmental measures that Senator Sosnowski supported include laws that would:

Decouple energy distribution rates from sales rates to enable National Grid to encourage and financially support more robust energy efficiency and conservation programs for ratepayers.
Establish the Rhode Island Climate Change Commission to study the projected impacts of climate change on the state and recommend ways to minimize those impacts.
Strengthen mercury reduction and education laws by requiring thermostat manufacturers to collect and properly dispose of thermostats that contain mercury.
Increase penalties for companies that pollute property but ignore orders by state authorities to remediate the property.

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