See Newport's Summer Electric Rates Compared To RI Energy

NEWPORT, RI — The Newport Community Electricity program announced its new summer electricity supply prices, going into effect with the first May meter read.

Prices will decrease significantly, dropping from 16.287 cents per kilowatt-hour this past winter to 10.014 cents for the city’s default electricity option. City officials said the new prices are fixed for six months and will be adjusted to winter rates in November. Current participants do not need to take any action to remain in the program and receive the new pricing for the product in which they are currently enrolled.

Most participants in Newport’s program use “Newport Standard” which provides more renewable energy than RI Energy’s Last Resort Service and will still provide cost savings this summer, town officials said. The additional renewable energy is sourced entirely from local Rhode Island projects, including the Narragansett Bay Commission wind turbines at Fields Point in Providence, solar in West Greenwich and additional wind turbines in Coventry.

The table below shows the prices for residential customers. Prices for commercial and industrial customers can be found on the program website:

The city is part of a group of seven cities and towns in Rhode Island which launched the state’s first municipal aggregation programs: Barrington, Central Falls, Narragansett, Newport, Portsmouth, Providence and South Kingstown. Each community launched their own distinct program in May 2023, but combined their buying power to procure a common electricity supplier, Next Era Energy Services.

Newport participants annually purchase more than 4,286 megawatt-hours of voluntary renewable energy, equivalent to displacing over 3.06 million pounds of carbon dioxide emissions.

Have a news tip? Email jimmy.bentley@patch.com.