Brown professor tells House committee Rhode Island must 'turn off the tap' on fossil fuels, urges electrification and batteries

Providence — Dr. Steven Porter, a professor at Brown University, told the House Committee on Environment and Natural Resources on Jan. 29 that Rhode Island can meet its climate targets only by rapidly electrifying heating and transportation and eliminating on‑site combustion of gas and oil.

Porter said Rhode Island emits roughly 10,000,000 tons of CO2 per year and that ‘‘the only way to solve this problem is to turn off the tap’’ — meaning stop burning fossil fuels on site and shift to electric heat, electric vehicles and zero‑emission power generation. He argued that electrification plus clean electricity would reduce emissions, improve public health and lower household operating costs.

The committee heard examples from Porter’s own home retrofit, which replaced oil heat and an oil hot‑water heater with heat pumps and an induction stove. He said the retrofit reduced the house’s emissions from about 10 tons a year to about 2.3 tons and lowered annual operating costs roughly in half. ‘‘Electrify everything means we’re reducing emissions, we’re saving dollars, and also, very importantly, we’re lowering public health costs,’’ Porter said.

Why it matters: Porter framed the discussion around Rhode Island’s obligations under the Act on Climate and the near‑term need to cut cumulative CO2 emissions. He emphasized that while atmospheric warming responds quickly if emissions stop, sea level rise is largely locked in for decades, creating urgent adaptation needs for coastal communities.

How batteries and renewables fit: Porter told lawmakers that recent declines in battery and solar costs have changed the economics of high renewable grids. He cited examples from California and Texas where grid‑scale batteries now perform energy‑shifting and reliability roles, saying batteries allow intermittent solar and wind to supply a larger share of demand without destabilizing the grid. ‘‘Grid‑scale batteries fell 40% in cost last year,’’ he said, and pointed to battery‑enabled reductions in gas‑fired generation in other states.

Questions and concerns: Committee members pressed Porter on affordability, the source and cost of renewable energy credits, and regulatory barriers. Porter said much of Rhode Island’s recent electricity price pressure stems from distribution and transmission costs and from volatile natural gas markets, not from a small amount of in‑state renewables. He also urged the committee to consider time‑of‑day pricing and faster permitting to encourage residential heat pump adoption.

On battery safety and supply chains, Porter said modern grid storage largely uses lithium iron phosphate chemistry, which ‘‘doesn’t have any cobalt’’ and has a lower fire risk than earlier batteries. He acknowledged legitimate environmental and supply‑chain concerns but said recycling and newer chemistries (including sodium‑ion) are developing rapidly.

Scale and workforce: Porter urged pairing incentives for electrification with investments in workforce training so installers and tradespeople can perform heat‑pump retrofits safely and affordably. He also recommended coordinated planning with the Public Utility Commission and the utility so electrification and distribution upgrades proceed in cost‑effective, planned ways rather than piecemeal.

Next steps: Committee members signaled interest in convening Rhode Island Energy and utility experts for a follow‑up to discuss procurement, renewable energy credits and affordability. Porter offered Brown‑based expertise and urged the legislature to design policies that align rates, permitting and funding toward electrification goals.

The committee did not take formal action during the session; members said they expect further briefings in coming weeks.