Block Island discusses renewable energy contracts and solar policies amid climate concerns

The Coastal Resilience Committee of New Shoreham convened on June 3, 2025, to address critical issues surrounding energy sustainability and climate resilience on Block Island. The meeting began with a discussion on the current energy contracts, highlighting the transition to a 100% renewable energy source expected in November. Committee members expressed concerns about the existing Shell contract, which still relies heavily on natural gas, a significant greenhouse gas emitter.

One member criticized the handling of energy discussions, emphasizing the need for a more transparent process. They pointed out that the current energy contracts could lead to residential solar users being the first to lose power during energy cutbacks, despite their investments in solar technology. This raised questions about the effectiveness of the current buy-all, sell-all policy for solar energy, particularly during blackouts when solar users are still generating energy.

The conversation shifted to personal experiences with solar energy, with one member sharing that their energy bill had been negative multiple times since installing solar panels a year ago. This anecdote sparked further discussion about the viability of solar energy investments, with another member noting that their previous attempt to install solar was deemed financially unfeasible.

The meeting then transitioned to the next agenda item, where Nora presented the draft of the Block Island climate hotspot story map. She outlined her motivation for creating a public-facing website to consolidate information on Block Island's climate initiatives and resilience efforts. Nora emphasized the importance of organizing existing resources and ongoing projects to better inform the community about the island's strategies for addressing climate change.

Overall, the meeting underscored the urgency of evaluating energy policies and enhancing community awareness of climate resilience initiatives. The committee plans to continue these discussions in future meetings, particularly as the transition to renewable energy approaches.