Energy Advisor to Coordinate State Energy Policy in Rhode Island
Rhode Island Governor Donald L. Carcieri (R) issued an executive order in mid-January creating the Office of Chief Energy Advisor to the Governor, and named Andrew Dzykewicz, Senior Project Manger at the Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation (RIEDC), to fill this new role. Mr. Dzykewicz will be responsible for coordinating tiny Rhode Island's energy policy, and one of the first tasks assigned to the new Advisor is to oversee the enactment of a five-point energy agenda intended to assist in accessing affordable energy supplies and increasing energy conservation.
The Governor's five-point plan includes: 1) increasing natural gas supplies by offering support for regional siting of liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals under construction in Eastern Canada, which, once up and running will increase the state's supplies and could allow Rhode Island to avoid the need for placement of LNG terminals along Narragansett Bay; 2) assisting FERC in reforming wholesale electricity pricing; 3) assisting low-income state residents to pay energy bills through a state assistance program that would supplement federal assistance; 4) completing a joint State Energy Office-RIEDC project intended to facilitate wind power development; and 5) performing a statewide audit of energy use to identify inefficiencies and to devise strategies to reduce energy consumption.