Removes clean coal as a renewable fuel given priority as an energy generation project.

Plain-English Summary

This Rhode Island bill would change the state's Energy Facility Siting Act by removing "clean coal" from the list of fuels that qualify as renewable energy sources. Currently, state law gives certain energy generation projects priority status if they use renewable fuels, and clean coal is included on that list. This bill would take clean coal off that list, meaning power projects using clean coal would no longer receive the same preferential treatment under Rhode Island's energy siting process.

In practical terms, this change would affect energy companies or developers who might want to build or expand power facilities in Rhode Island using clean coal technology. Those projects would no longer receive the priority consideration that renewable energy projects — like wind or solar — currently enjoy under state law. It does not ban clean coal outright, but it does remove a competitive advantage those projects previously had in the approval process.

The bill has been introduced and sent to the Senate Environment and Agriculture Committee, where lawmakers will decide whether to move it forward. Supporters of such a change might argue that clean coal does not truly belong alongside genuinely renewable energy sources, while opponents might argue it limits energy options for the state. The bill's broader impact on Rhode Island's energy landscape would depend on whether any developers were actively planning clean coal projects in the state.