Profile Overview
Quick Facts
- In 2017, the first U.S. offshore wind farm began operating off Rhode Island's Block Island. Wind power provided 1.5% of the state's net generation in 2023.
- About 32% of Rhode Island households use heating oil and other petroleum products as their primary source for home heating, which is almost 4 times greater than the national rate. The 1-million-barrel Northeast Home Heating Oil Reserve can help offset supply disruptions in the region.
- Rhode Island consumes the lowest amount energy on a per capita basis and is among the 10 states that use the least amount of energy per dollar of gross domestic product (GDP).
- In 2023, natural gas fueled 87% of Rhode Island's total in-state electricity net generation, the second-largest share of any state after Delaware.
- Rhode Island uses less total petroleum than all others states except for Vermont, and is third lowest in petroleum use on a per capita basis.
Last Updated: December 19, 2024