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6/22/2026
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New law to encourage utility energy storage system development
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STATE HOUSE – Among the bills approved by the General Assembly in the final days of its 2026 session was legislation sponsored by Rep. June S. Speakman and Sen. Jacob E. Bissaillon to encourage the development of utility-scale energy storage systems, which provide stability and cost savings to the electric grid.
The legislation (2026-S 2800A, 2026-H 8294A), which has been transmitted to the governor, would make it easier to build energy storage systems — essentially large rechargeable batteries — by making them a “by-right” use on previously contaminated or abandoned properties other than those in strictly residential-use areas, and by allowing courts to give priority in abandoned and nuisance property proceedings to buyers who agree to install them.
Battery energy storage systems (BESS) are a rapidly expanding technology that enables the power grid to store energy when use is low or when renewable production is high, then release it back into the grid during peak use times. They help protect against blackouts and brownouts during peaks, and they also help regulate energy prices, since they enable utilities to buy energy at off-peak times when it is less expensive, then use it when prices are higher during peak hours.
Rhode Island passed legislation in 2024 setting a goal of development of 90 MW of BESS capacity by 2026, but so far, there is only one such system in the state, a 3 MW installation in Pascoag serving the Clear River Electric and Water District. Rhode Island ranks 47th among states for its energy storage development, and there are currently about 43,000 MW of energy storage capacity nationwide, according to Nicholas L. Nybo, senior legal counsel for Warwick-based Revity Energy LLC, who testified in support of the bill.
One of the barriers to energy storage development, Nybo said, is a lack of recognition of energy storage use in local zoning laws.
Senator Bissaillon and Representative Speakman’s bill would help by providing potential sites and establishing a means to transform blighted, contaminated properties into a public benefit that helps prevent higher energy bills.
“Energy storage is an efficiency that saves money on power procurement, and it’s critical to our transition to green energy, since it provides a place to store excess energy to use at the times when wind and solar sources aren’t producing energy. Rhode Island is behind most of the country in development of energy storage. Our bill makes it a bit easier to develop it by legally recognizing that contaminated sites and nonresidential abandoned properties are appropriate places for energy storage systems, and encouraging their reuse for this purpose,” said Representative Speakman (D-Dist. 68, Warren, Bristol), who chairs the House Commission on Affordable Housing.
Said Senator Bissaillon (D-Dist. 1, Providence), chairman of the Senate Housing and Municipal Government Committee, “Our bill will remediate blight, encourage private investment, and yield energy savings for utility customers. We are optimistic that making responsible energy storage projects easier to develop will help Rhode Island close the gap on its energy storage goals and build a more resilient, reliable, and cleaner grid for the future.”
In addition to exempting contaminated or abandoned properties zoned strictly for residential use, in response to concerns raised by public safety officials, the legislation includes specific size, height and setback limits for energy storage systems built under its provisions.
For more information, contact:
Meredyth R. Whitty, Publicist
State House Room 20
Providence, RI 02903
(401) 222-1923
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