Profile AnalysisPrint State Energy Profile
(overview, data, & analysis)
Last Updated: December 19, 2024
Overview
Known as the Ocean State, Rhode Island is one-third water and includes one of New England's deepwater ports at Providence.1,2,3 The state's mainland wraps around Narragansett Bay with its many islands, including Block Island off the coast.4,5 Rhode Island is the smallest state in the nation by land area and is the second-most densely populated, after New Jersey. The state has nearly 1,100 people per square mile.6,7 Rhode Island has substantial renewable energy potential, particularly from winds offshore and along its extensive shoreline. But like the rest of the New England region, the state does not have any economically recoverable fossil energy reserves.8,9,10
Rhode Island consumes less energy per capita than any other state.
Rhode Island consumes the least amount of energy among the states on a per capita basis.11 It has one of the least energy-intensive economies. Rhode Island ranks among the ten states using the smallest amount of energy to produce a dollar of GDP, mainly because manufacturing accounts for less than one-tenth of the state's economy.12,13 The largest contributors to Rhode Island's GDP are finance, insurance, and real estate; education, healthcare, and social assistance; government; and professional and business services. The state's industrial activities include the manufacture of transportation equipment, fabricated metal products; chemicals; food and beverages; computer and electronic equipment; and plastics and rubber products.14
Rhode Island summers are typically temperate, particularly in the ocean-moderated areas. Heavy snows can occur in winter, especially in the western third of the state where the terrain rises to 800 feet above sea level.15 The residential sector leads Rhode Island's end-use energy consumption, accounting for about one-third of the state's total, which is the third-highest share in the nation for a state's residential sector energy use after Connecticut and Vermont. The transportation sector is a close second, making up about three-tenths of the state's energy use. The commercial sector accounts for about one-fourth of the state's energy consumption, and the industrial sector accounts for about one-eighth.16 Rhode Island is a member of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), a market-based program to reduce carbon emissions from electricity generation in 11 northeastern and Mid-Atlantic states.17 Rhode Island is the nation's second-lowest emitter of energy-related carbon dioxide emissions, after Vermont, due to its low energy use.18,19
Electricity
Rhode Island’s share of natural gas-fired generation is the second largest among the states.
In 2023, Rhode Island generated 87% of its electricity from natural gas, the second-largest share of any state, after Delaware. Most of the rest of the state's net generation came from solar, biomass, and wind resources. A small amount of the state's electricity was also generated from petroleum and hydropower.20,21 Rhode Island is a member of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), a market-based program to reduce carbon emissions from electricity generation in 11 northeastern and Mid-Atlantic states.22 Rhode Island is the nation's second-lowest emitter of energy-related carbon dioxide emissions, after Vermont, due to its low energy use.23,24
Rhode Island's total per capita electricity sales are lower than in all but two other states, California and Hawaii, and its per capita electricity sales to the residential sector are lower than in all but five states.25 With fewer than 10 days of temperatures above 90°F in a typical summer, air conditioning use in Rhode Island is limited, as about one-third of households have central air conditioning. About 15 in 100 state households use electricity as their primary energy source for home heating.26,27,28
Independent power producers account for all of the utility-scale electricity generated by Rhode Island's electric power sector.29 The previous exception was on Block Island—located about nine miles south of the state's coastline—which was not connected to the mainland grid and was dependent on local diesel-fueled generators. Generator fuel was ferried to the island. Because fuel prices sometimes caused Block Island's electricity costs to rise to more than four times the state's average, particularly in summer when rates and electricity demand increased with the influx of tourists, the island participated in the nation's first offshore wind project.30,31 In 2017, Block Island Power turned off its diesel generators and began receiving power from an undersea cable installed between the offshore wind farm, Block Island, and the mainland. The cable also allowed electricity generated on the mainland to reach Block Island for the first time and allowed the wind-generated electric power to be sent to the onshore grid.32,33,34
Rhode Island had about 330 public electric vehicle charging locations in October 2024. Most of these charging locations are in and around the state's major cities of Providence and Warwick.35,36 Rhode Island plans to build charging locations along Interstate 95 and throughout the state.37
Renewable energy
In 2023, solar power accounted for more than two-thirds of Rhode Island’s electricity generated by renewable energy.
In 2023, about 13% of Rhode Island's in-state electricity came from utility-scale (1 megawatt or larger) and small-scale (less than 1 megawatt) generating facilities that produced power from renewable energy sources, with more than two-thirds of that from solar energy. Biomass and wind energy generated most of the rest of the state's renewable electricity, and a small amount came from hydropower.38
Solar energy's contribution to the amount of electricity generated in Rhode Island has nearly doubled since 2020 and accounted for 9% of the state's total generation in 2023.39 The state had 872 megawatts of solar power generating capacity in September 2024, and just over half of that amount was small-scale solar panel systems with less than 1 megawatt of generating capacity each.40 The state's largest solar generating facility, which has a capacity of 41 megawatts, came online in December 2023. An additional 25 megawatts of solar generating capacity is scheduled to come online in late 2024.41
Biomass accounted for 2% of Rhode Island's total generation in 2023.42 The state's largest biomass-fueled power plant has 31 megawatts of capacity and uses methane produced from a Providence landfill to generate electricity. The state also has a smaller landfill gas facility with a capacity of 6 megawatts and a waste biomass generating facility with about 3 megawatts of capacity.43 Rhode Island also has two utility-scale hydroelectric power plants along its northern border. Those hydroelectric facilities have a generating capacity of less than 2 megawatts each and combined accounted for about 0.1% of the state's generation.44,45,46
In late 2016, Rhode Island became home to the first offshore wind farm in the nation: the 30-megawatt, 5-turbine Block Island project.47,48 With the advent of offshore generation and onshore wind farms, wind-powered electricity generation in Rhode Island increased in recent years. Wind power provided about 1.5% of the state's net generation in 2023.49 In September 2024, the state had 48 megawatts of generating capacity at 18 onshore wind farms. The 715-megawatt Revolution Wind project is planned in federal waters 15 miles south of the Rhode Island coastline and is expected to be operational in mid-2025. The offshore wind farm is expected to provide 400 megawatts of wind power capacity for Rhode Island and about 300 megawatts for Connecticut.50,51,52 To help mitigate the rising costs of offshore wind power projects, Rhode Island, Connecticut, and Massachusetts agreed in October 2023 to jointly purchase 6,000 megawatts of offshore wind power from energy companies in 2024.53 However, Connecticut declined to participate in the first-round selection of developers in September 2024.54 Massachusetts and Rhode Island selected three projects, which would generate nearly 2,900 megawatts once completed.55
In 2022, Rhode Island updated its renewable energy standard to require the state's electricity providers to obtain 34% of their power supply from renewable resources by the end of 2025and 100% by the end of 2033.56,57
Petroleum
Rhode Island has no crude oil reserves and does not produce or refine petroleum, but the Port of Providence is a key hub for the distribution of petroleum products to southern New England.58,59,60,61 Almost all of the transportation and heating fuel products consumed in Rhode Island, eastern Connecticut, and parts of Massachusetts are supplied via marine shipments through the Port of Providence. The port area has refined petroleum product storage tanks and a petroleum product pipeline that runs from the port to central Massachusetts.62,63
Rhode Island uses less total petroleum than all other states except for Vermont, and it has the third-lowest petroleum use on a per capita basis.64 The transportation sector consumes about 67% of the petroleum used in Rhode Island, mostly as motor gasoline and diesel fuel.65,66 As in the surrounding states, the use of reformulated motor gasoline blended with ethanol is required statewide in Rhode Island year-round to reduce air pollution.67 The residential sector is the second-largest petroleum consumer in the state, accounting for about 18% of petroleum use.68
About 1 out of 3 Rhode Island households use petroleum products, mainly heating oil, as their primary source for home heating.69 Such consumption makes the state, like much of the U.S. Northeast, vulnerable to heating oil shortages and price spikes in the winter. To avert supply disruptions, the U.S. Department of Energy created the Northeast Home Heating Oil Reserve in 2000. The reserve contains 1 million barrels of heating fuel stored at five terminals, four in New England and one in the New York-New Jersey Harbor area. Rhode Island sits between three of the New England terminals, which are located in Connecticut and in Massachusetts. Together those three terminals contain about 500,000 barrels of heating fuel.70,71,72 Rhode Island's industrial sector accounts for 9% of the state's total petroleum use, and the commercial sector makes up about 6%. A small amount of petroleum is used in the electric power sector.73
Natural gas
Rhode Island does not have any natural gas reserves or production.74,75 The state's natural gas is supplied by two major interstate pipelines.76,77 The natural gas that enters the state is produced primarily from the Marcellus and Utica shale regions in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Ohio, and most of that natural gas reaches Rhode Island by pipeline through Connecticut.78,79 More than three-fifths of the natural gas that enters Rhode Island is sent on to Massachusetts.80
About half of Rhode Island households rely on natural gas for heating.
With nearly nine-tenths of in-state electricity generation fueled by natural gas, about 62% of the natural gas consumed in Rhode Island went to the electric power sector in 2023.81,82 The residential sector, where about half of the state's households heat with natural gas, accounted for about 19% of natural gas use. The commercial sector made up 11% of the state's natural gas consumption, followed by the industrial sector at 9%.83,84 As high amounts of natural gas are used for electricity generation in Rhode Island and throughout New England, ensuring reliable natural gas supplies is a critical energy issue for the region because of limited pipeline capacity.85
Rhode Island does not have any natural gas underground storage sites and depends on natural gas from storage fields in other states to meet peak winter demand.86 Because of regional pipeline constraints, Rhode Island and other New England states also receive some natural gas that arrives at liquefied natural gas (LNG) import terminals in Massachusetts.87,88 Rhode Island is also home to an LNG vaporization facility in Portsmouth that provides emergency heating fuel to Aquidneck Island in Narragansett Bay during the winter when necessary.89
Coal
Rhode Island has no economically recoverable coal reserves or mining, and it was one of only nine states with no utility-scale coal-fired electricity generation in 2023.90,91 Providence was once one of the largest coal import centers in the Northeast and received more than one-tenth of the imported coal delivered to the eastern customs district in 2015. Coal imports into Providence decreased as demand for coal for electricity generation in New England declined, and no coal imports have been received at the Providence seaport since 2016.92
Endnotes
1 NETSTATE, The State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, accessed November 8, 2024.
2 Pilsch, Marty, "The Port of Providence, A multi-dimensional port," American Journal of Transportation (April 4, 2016).
3 U.S. Geological Survey, The USGS Water Science School, How much of your state is wet?, updated June 8, 2024.
4 World Atlas, Rhode Island, accessed November 8, 2024.
5 Britannica, "Block Island," accessed November 8, 2024.
6 NETSTATE, The State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, accessed November 8, 2024.
7 U.S. Census Bureau, Data, Historical Population Density Data (1910-2020), updated April 26, 2021.
8 U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, WINDExchange, Wind Energy in Rhode Island, Maps & Data, accessed November 8, 2024.
9 U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), U.S. Crude Oil and Natural Gas Proved Reserves, Year-end 2022 (April 29, 2024), Tables 6, 11.
10 U.S. EIA, Annual Coal Report (October 30, 2024), Table 15, Recoverable Coal Reserves at Producing Mines, Estimated Recoverable Reserves, and Demonstrated Reserve Base by Mining Method, 2023.
11 U.S. EIA, State Energy Data System, Table C14, Total Energy Consumption Estimates per Capita by End-Use Sector, Ranked by State, 2022.
12 U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Interactive Data, Regional Data, GDP and Personal Income, Annual Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by State, SAGPD2 GDP in Current Dollars, Rhode Island, All statistics in the table, 2023.
13 U.S. EIA, State Energy Data System, Table C10, Total Energy Consumption Estimates, Real Gross Domestic Product (GDP), Energy Consumption Estimates per Real Dollar of GDP, Ranked by State, 2022.
14 U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Interactive Data, Regional Data, GDP and Personal Income, Annual Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by State, SAGDP4 GDP in Current Dollars, Rhode Island, All statistics in the table, 2023.
15 Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow Network, Rhode Island's Climate, The CoCoRaHS ‘State Climates' Series, accessed November 8, 2024.
16 U.S. EIA, State Energy Data System, Table C11, Total Energy Consumption Estimates by End-Use Sector, Ranked by State, 2022.
17 The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, Welcome, accessed November 12, 2024.
18 U.S. EIA, Environment, Energy-Related CO2 Emission Data Tables (October 29, 2024), Table 1, State energy-related carbon dioxide emissions by year (1970-2022), XLSX.
19 U.S. EIA, Table F35, Total Energy Consumption, Price, and Expenditure Estimates, 2022.
20 U.S. EIA, Electric Power Monthly (February 2024), Tables 1.3.B, 1.7.B.
21 U.S. EIA, Electricity Data Browser, Net generation for all sectors (thousand megawatthours), Rhode Island, 2001-23.
22 The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, Welcome, accessed November 12, 2024.
23 U.S. EIA, Environment, Energy-Related CO2 Emission Data Tables (October 29, 2024), Table 1, State energy-related carbon dioxide emissions by year (1970-2022), XLSX.
24 U.S. EIA, Table F35, Total Energy Consumption, Price, and Expenditure Estimates, 2022.
25 U.S. EIA, State Energy Data System, Table C17, Electricity Retail Sales to Ultimate Customers, Total and Residential, Total and per Capita, Ranked by State, 2022.
26 U.S. EIA, Residential Energy Consumption Survey (RECS), 2020 RECS Survey Data, State Data, Housing characteristics, Highlights for air conditioning in U.S. homes by state, 2020.
27 Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow Network, Rhode Island's Climate, The CoCoRaHS ‘State Climates' Series, accessed November 12, 2024.
28 U.S. Census Bureau, House Heating Fuel, Table B25040, 2023 ACS 1-Year Estimates Detailed Tables, Rhode Island.
29 U.S. EIA, Electric Power Monthly (February 2024), Table 1.3.B.
30 Encyclopaedia Britannica, "Block Island," accessed November 12, 2024.
31 "From Diesel to Wind on Block Island," Rocky Mountain Institute (June 19, 2015).
32 Block Island Power Company, accessed November 12, 2024.
33 McKenna, Phil, "America's First Offshore Wind Energy Makes Landfall in Rhode Island," Inside Climate News (May 1, 2017).
34 Harvey, Abby, "Nation's First Offshore Wind Farm Releases Community from Decades of Diesel," Power Magazine (December 1, 2017).
35 U.S. EIA, Monthly Energy Review (November 26, 2024), Appendix F monthly state file, XLS, Public ports only, Public & private ports.
36 U.S. Department of Energy, Alternative Fuels Data Center, Alternative Fueling Station Locator, Rhode Island, accessed November 12, 2024.
37 Rhode Island Office of Energy Resources, Rhode Island's National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Program, accessed November 12, 2024.
38 U.S. EIA, Electricity Data Browser, Net generation for all sectors (thousand megawatthours), Rhode Island, 2001-23.
39 U.S. EIA, Electricity Data Browser, Net generation for all sectors (thousand megawatthours), Rhode Island, 2001-23.
40 U.S. EIA, Electric Power Monthly (September 2024), Table 6.2.B.
41 U.S. EIA, Preliminary Monthly Electric Generator Inventory (based on Form EIA-860M as a supplement to Form EIA-860), Inventory of Operating Generators as of September 2024, Inventory of Planned Generators as of September 2024, Plant State: Rhode Island, Technology: Solar Photovoltaic.
42 U.S. EIA, Electricity Data Browser, Net generation for all sectors (thousand megawatthours), Rhode Island, 2020-23.
43 U.S. EIA, Electricity, Preliminary Monthly Electric Generator Inventory (based on Form EIA-860M as a supplement to Form EIA-860), Inventory of Operating Generators as of September 2024, Plant State: Rhode Island, Technology: Landfill Gas, Other Waste Biomass.
44 U.S. EIA, Electricity Data Browser, Net generation for all sectors (thousand megawatthours), Rhode Island, 2021-23.
45 U.S. EIA, Electricity, Preliminary Monthly Electric Generator Inventory (based on Form EIA-860M as a supplement to Form EIA-860), Inventory of Operating Generators as of September 2024, Plant State: Rhode Island, Technology: Conventional Hydroelectric.
46 U.S. EIA, Interactive GIS Data Viewer, Layer List: State Mask Rhode Island, Hydroelectric Power Plants, accessed November 13, 2024.
47 Orsted, Block Island Wind Farm, accessed November 13, 2024.
48 McKenna, Phil, "America's First Offshore Wind Energy Make Landfall in Rhode Island," Inside Climate News (May 1, 2017).
49 U.S. EIA, Electricity Data Browser, Net generation for all sectors (thousand megawatthours), Rhode Island, 2001-23.
50 U.S. EIA, Preliminary Monthly Electric Generator Inventory (based on Form EIA-860M as a supplement to Form EIA-860), Inventory of Operating Generators as of September 2024, Inventory of Planned Generators as of September 2024, Plant State: Rhode Island, Technology: Onshore Wind Turbine.
51 Orsted, About Revolution Wind, accessed November 13, 2024.
52 Orsted, Revolution Wind Fact Sheet, accessed November 13, 2024.
53 DiSavino, Scott, "New England states join to buy offshore wind power as US industry struggles," Reuters (October 4, 2023).
54 Hurdle, John, "Multi-State Offshore Wind Pact Weakened After Connecticut Sits Out First Selection," Inside Climate News (November 13, 2024).
55 Commonwealth of Massachusetts, "Massachusetts and Rhode Island Announce Largest Offshore Wind Selection in New England History," Press Release (September 6, 2024).
56 NC Clean Energy Technology Center, DSIRE, Rhode Island, Renewable Energy Standard, updated December 6, 2023.
57 State of Rhode Island Governor Dan McKee, "Governor McKee Signs Historic Legislation Requiring 100% of Rhode Island's Electricity to be Offset by Renewable Energy by 2033," Press Release (June 29, 2022).
58 U.S. EIA, U.S. Crude Oil and Natural Gas Proved Reserves, Year-end 2022 (April 29, 2024), Table 6.
59 U.S. EIA, Crude Oil Production, Annual, Thousand Barrels, 2018-23.
60 U.S. EIA, Number and Capacity of Petroleum Refineries, Total Number of Operable Refineries as of January 1, 2019-24.
61 U.S. EIA, Petroleum and Other Liquids, Company Level Imports, Monthly, September 2023 to September 2024.
62 Rhode Island Division of Planning, Energy 2035, Rhode Island State Energy Plan (October 8, 2015), p. 14-15.
63 U.S. Department of Energy, State of Rhode Island Energy Sector Risk Profile, p. 4.
64 U.S. EIA, State Energy Data System, Table C15, Petroleum Consumption Estimates, Total and per Capita, Ranked by State, 2022.
65 U.S. EIA, State Energy Data System, Table F16, Total Petroleum Consumption Estimates, 2022.
66 U.S. EIA, State Energy Data System, Table C2, Energy Consumption Estimates for Selected Energy Sources in Physical Units, 2022.
67 Southern States Energy Board, Gardner, K. W., U.S. Gasoline Requirements, (January 2018).
68 U.S. EIA, State Energy Data System, Table F16, Total Petroleum Consumption Estimates, 2022.
69 U.S. Census Bureau, House Heating Fuel, Table B25040, 2023 ACS 1-Year Estimates Detailed Tables, Rhode Island.
70 U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Fossil Energy, Northeast Home Heating Oil Reserve, History, accessed November 14, 2024.
71 U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Fossil Energy, Northeast Home Heating Oil Reserve, About HEHHOR, accessed November 14, 2024.
72 U.S. EIA, Weekly Petroleum Status Report, Appendix C, Northeast Reserves, accessed November 22, 2024.
73 U.S. EIA, State Energy Data System, Table F16, Total Petroleum Consumption Estimates, 2022.
74 U.S. EIA, U.S. Crude Oil and Natural Gas Proved Reserves, Year-end 2022 (April 29, 2024), Table 11.
75 U.S. EIA, Natural Gas Gross Withdrawals and Production, Gross Withdrawals, Annual, 2018-23.
76 Enbridge, Algonquin Gas Transmission, accessed November 15, 2024.
77 Kinder Morgan, Natural Gas Pipelines, Tennessee Gas Pipeline and Asset Map, accessed November 15, 2024.
78 State of Rhode Island Office of Energy Resources, Lean About Natural Gas, Where does natural gas used in Rhode Island come from?, accessed November 15, 2024.
79 U.S. EIA, "New England natural gas pipeline capacity increases for the first time since 2010," Today in Energy (December 6, 2016).
80 U.S. EIA, International and Interstate Movements of Natural Gas by State, Rhode Island, 2018-23.
81 U.S. EIA, Natural Gas Consumption by End Use, Rhode Island, Annual, 2018-23.
82 U.S. EIA, Electricity Data Browser, Net generation for all sectors (thousand megawatthours), Rhode Island, 2020-23.
83 U.S. EIA, Natural Gas Consumption by End Use, Rhode Island, Annual, 2018-23.
84 U.S. Census Bureau, House Heating Fuel, Table B25040, 2023 ACS 1-Year Estimates Detailed Tables, Rhode Island.
85 Giaimo, Michael, "Natural gas bottleneck hurting New England," Commonwealth Beacon (February 2, 2022).
86 U.S. EIA, Underground Natural Gas Storage Capacity, Total Storage Capacity, Annual, 2018-23.
87 U.S. EIA, International and Interstate Movements of Natural Gas by State, Massachusetts, 2018-23.
88 U.S. EIA, International and Interstate Movements of Natural Gas by State, Rhode Island, 2018-23.
89 Kuffner, Alex, "Controversial LNG facility in Portsmouth wins 5-year approval. Here are the conditions," The Providence Journal (August 22, 2024).
90 U.S. EIA, Annual Coal Report (October 30, 2024), Tables 1, 15.
91 U.S. EIA, Electric Power Annual (October 17, 2024), Table 3.8.
92 U.S. EIA, Quarterly Coal Report, 4th Quarter, October-December 2016-23, Previous reports, Table 20, Coal Imports by Customs District.