LETTERS

Municipal energy is the future we need now

Posted 7/16/19

To the Editor: Rhode Island's cities are struggling. City finances are tight across the state. Public schools are underfunded. Pension obligations are growing, and city services are being reduced. Some cities are teetering on the edge of fiscal crisis.

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LETTERS

Municipal energy is the future we need now

Posted

To the Editor:

Rhode Island’s cities are struggling. City finances are tight across the state. Public schools are underfunded. Pension obligations are growing, and city services are being reduced. Some cities are teetering on the edge of fiscal crisis.

Worried by their struggling cities, some Rhode Islanders are calling for cuts to city budgets.

But cuts harm cities by shrinking their economies and pushing them into a spiral of decreasing revenue as government, businesses, and workers receive and spend less.

A better answer to their troubles is growth, and the Rhode Island Progressive Democrats of America are developing a plan to grow and revitalize Rhode Island’s economy by transforming the Ocean State into a producer of solar, tidal, and onshore wind energy.

Rhode Island spends $3 billion on energy every year, and as an energy producer, we can keep that money in our state. In addition, if we generate more energy than we use, we can sell the excess energy and grow our economy even further.

We’re creating a blueprint to build municipal utilities across Rhode Island, using city infrastructure, avoiding green space, and employing the latest innovations in wind and tidal technology.

A municipal utility would provide a city with a reliable source of income because energy is always in demand, and every city in our state could have that dependability.

We’re at the start of planning, but we’re moving swiftly. To learn more and to find out how you can help, follow us, the Rhode Island Progressive Democrats of America, on Facebook.

Nate Carpenter

State Coordinator

Rhode Island Progressive Democrats of America

Comments

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  • Wuggly

    I'm all for solar panels on every public building.

    I also think anything implemented by a local or state government should have a 10 year sunset period. If it worked continue, if it hasn't cut costs in that time immediate termination.

    Monday, July 22, 2019 Report this