Rhode Island Public Utilities Commission

Rhode Island Energy electric distribution rate case: PPL-owned Rhode Island Energy's 2024 rate filing requesting multi-year revenue increases to fund grid hardening, EV infrastructure buildout, and advanced metering infrastructure deployment is proceeding before the PUC, with Division of Public Utilities and Carriers and OER intervenors contesting the magnitude of proposed increases and the prudency of certain capital expenditures.

Affordable Heat Act (Act 127) implementation: Rhode Island's 2023 Affordable Heat Act, which restructures the gas utility's role in building decarbonization, requires the PUC to develop a Clean Heat Standard and approve compliant gas utility plans; the rulemaking is creating significant uncertainty around gas infrastructure investment recovery and fuel-switching program cost allocation.

Net metering and distributed solar successor tariff: Rhode Island Energy and the PUC are engaged in proceedings to design a post-net-metering successor tariff as legacy net metering caps approach saturation, with disputes centering on export compensation rates, non-bypassable charges, and equity impacts on low-income solar participants.

Grid modernization and Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) rollout oversight: The PUC is overseeing Rhode Island Energy's AMI deployment plan, including data privacy protocols, customer data access rights, and performance metrics tied to regulatory incentives; cost recovery timelines and cybersecurity standards are contested by the Division.

Electric vehicle charging infrastructure cost allocation: Proceedings before the PUC are examining Rhode Island Energy's proposed make-ready EV infrastructure program, including whether ratepayer-funded utility investment in behind-the-meter charging equipment is appropriate and how program costs should be allocated between EV and non-EV customers.