Newport Holding Community Electricity Aggregation Forum

NEWPORT, RI — The Newport City Council is giving residents an opportunity to learn more about the city's new community electricity aggregation program.

The council will hold a special workshop at 5 p.m. Wednesday, about the program that could lower electrical bills for Newport residents.

Newport's electricity aggregation program launches in May. The program, Newport Community Electricity, was approved by the city council in December 2021 as part of an effort to provide new, competitively priced electricity supply options, including the use of more renewable energy.

City officials said under the initial terms of the program, Newport Community Electricity will offer a standard electricity option that will cost less than the current Last Resort Service rate from Rhode Island Energy while using 5 percent more renewable energy than required by state law.

The program will also offer three optional electricity options, including:

• A 100 percent renewable energy option
• A 50 percent renewable energy option
• An option with only the minimum amount of renewable energy required by state law for those seeking the lowest cost.

City officials said the electricity rates will be fixed over an initial six-month period from May 2023 through November 2023.

See Newport Community Electricity rate and more information here.

For those unable to attend the meeting, livestreaming and on-demand viewing will be available through the city's website.

Several other virtual and in-person information sessions hosted by representatives are also coming up. They include:

Virtual Meetings

• 7:30 p.m. Tuesday
• Noon, Thursday.

Sign up in advance for virtual meetings at here.

In-Person Meeting

• 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Innovate Newport.