Lawmakers and stakeholders debate All-Electric Building Act at committee hearing

The House Committee on Municipal Government and Housing heard extended testimony on March 20, 2025, on House Bill 5450, the All‑Electric Building Act, which would generally require that building permits issued for new construction after Dec. 31, 2026, be for all‑electric buildings with limited exemptions (for hospitals, certain kinds of industry and where electrification is infeasible).

Representative Handy, sponsor of the bill, framed the proposal as a forward-looking step to reduce greenhouse‑gas emissions from building heating and to avoid installing new fossil‑fuel infrastructure that would have a 15–20 year equipment lifespan. “The idea here is to say, once we’re moving all‑electric, we’re going to keep on doing that with new construction,” he said.

Why it matters: Buildings are a major source of greenhouse‑gas emissions in Rhode Island. The bill attempts to avoid creating new fossil‑fuel lock‑in while steering new construction toward…