Title 39
Public Utilities and Carriers

Chapter 26.1
Long-Term Contracting Standard for Renewable Energy

§ 39-26.1-10. Energy storage programs.

(a) The general assembly finds that while the commission develops new energy market rules for the use of energy storage systems, it is in the public interest to support the deployment of the following energy storage capacity:

(1) Ninety megawatts (90 MW) by December 31, 2026;

(2) One hundred ninety-five megawatts (195 MW) by December 31, 2028;

(3) Six hundred megawatts (600 MW) by December 31, 2033; and

(4) Subsequent targets may be proposed and set pursuant to chapter 31 of title 39.

(b) The Rhode Island infrastructure bank, in consultation with the office of energy resources, shall develop one or more programs and shall distribute funds made available pursuant to this chapter to meet the goals established in subsection (a) of this section.

(c) The Rhode Island infrastructure bank may take in funds from the following sources in support of this program:

(1) Money appropriated in the state budget to the fund or otherwise made available to the infrastructure bank;

(2) Money made available to the fund through federal programs or private contributions;

(3) Application or other fees paid to the infrastructure bank to process applications; and

(4) Any other money made available to the bank.

(d) The program(s) shall establish supplemental funding efforts to support the deployment of energy storage systems for:

(1) Residential classes of electric customers;

(2) Low-income residential classes of electric customers;

(3) Commercial and residential classes of electric customers; and

(4) Energy storage systems connected to the distribution or transmission system in front of the meter and not associated with a customer’s electric load.

(e) The program shall provide for grants, no-interest loans, and low-interest loans to support:

(1) The co-locate energy storage systems with distributed energy resources; or

(2) Energy storage systems that would allow for the interconnection of distributed energy resources without distribution system upgrade costs.

(f) Any local distribution company that serves greater than one hundred thousand (100,000) customers shall not be eligible for the financial support described in this section.

(g) The infrastructure bank shall have the authority to adopt, amend, and implement such rules and regulations as may be necessary and desirable to effectuate the purposes of this section.