Rhode Island education

The EIA fact measures retail electricity revenue per kilowatthour across sectors. Review of net-metering costs and legislative ratepayer impacts concerns rate components. An order to review and report does not itself set rates or establish savings. This relationship does not establish causation. Actions after the measurement period cannot explain its earlier value.

Retained Rhode Island evidence context: Average retail electricity price. This record’s connection to the topic does not establish an effect on the measured result.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, DANIEL J. McKEE, by virtue of the authority vested in me as Governor of the State of Rhode Island, pursuant to Article IX of the Rhode Island Constitution and the Rhode Island General Laws, including, but not limited to, Title 30, Chapter 15, do hereby order and direct the following: 1. The Office of Energy Resources (OER), in consultation with the Division of Public Utilities and Carriers (DPUC), the Public Utilities Commission (PUC), the electric and gas distribution companies, and such additional stakeholders as OER deems appropriate, including representatives of labor, residential and commercial solar developers, and consumer interests, shall conduct a comprehensive review of the State's Net Metering Program (behind-the-meter and virtual) and Renewable Energy Growth Program. The purpose of this review is to control costs to electric ratepayers and ensure that these programs do not impose an undue or disproportionate financial burden on households and businesses, while remaining aligned with the State's emissions-reduction objectives. The review shall evaluate ratepayer impacts, state fiscal implications, and energy-system effects, and shall assess potential program modifications as appropriate. a. As part of this effort, OER shall submit supplemental budget article amendment options related to the State's virtual net metering program to the Governor's Office and the Office of Management and Budget (0MB) no later Executive Order 26-01 February 9, 2026 Page 3 than April 24, 2026. These options shall be designed to maintain ratepayer savings for households and businesses while updating the structure of the virtual net metering program. In developing these options, OER shall seek to avoid adverse impacts on existing solar projects and shall evaluate approaches used by peer states to maintain more cost-effective solar incentive programs. Any proposed supplemental budget article amendments shall be transmitted to the House and Senate Finance Committees no later than May 1, 2026. b. In addition, OER, in consultation with participating state agencies, shall complete a longer-term review of behind-the-meter net metering and the Renewable Energy Growth Program and deliver the results of that review—including key findings and potential policy and legislative options-to the Governor's Office and 0MB no later than October 1, 2026, aligned with the development and submission of agency budget proposals for the subsequent fiscal year. In conducting this review, OER and participating state agencies shall be advised by Dr. Noah Kaufman, Senior Research Scholar at Columbia University's Center on Global Energy Policy or other outside experts. 2. The DPUC shall evaluate and communicate the anticipated ratepayer impacts of all significant energy legislation under consideration by the General Assembly to ensure that policy makers, stakeholders, and the public have a clear and timely understanding of the potential effects of such proposals on utility rates, customer bills, and overall energy affordability. As part of this process, the DPUC shall determine which proposed energy legislation is sufficiently broad in scope, material in potential ratepayer impact, or sufficiently advanced in the legislative process to warrant the preparation of an official Ratepayer Impact Note. As part of this process, the DPUC shall: a. Develop an internal framework for preparing Ratepayer Impact Notes, that, to the extent practicable, assess expected impacts on electric and gas rates and typical customer bills, identify the duration of such impacts, describe key assumptions and uncertainties, and discuss the impacts across customer classes (where feasible), with particular attention to overall affordability. b. Establish a legislative notification and coordination process to ensure that Ratepayer Impact Notes are made available to the General Assembly, Executive Order 26-01 February 9, 2026 Page 4 including legislative leadership and relevant committees, in a timely manner to properly inform legislative deliberations on significant energy proposals. c. Establish a process to make available on its agency website plain-language impact summaries of such considered legislative proposals, with the goal of enabling every Rhode Island ratepayer to understand how proposed energy policies may affect utility bills and the cost of living. Order shall take effect immediately upon the date hereof.

The fact measures diploma-or-higher attainment among adults 25 and older. Adult-education funding and diploma-outcome reporting concern pathways to that credential, including for adults in the measured population. Program measures have a different denominator from the Census fact and do not prove completed diplomas. This relationship does not establish causation. Actions after the measurement period cannot explain its earlier value.

Retained Rhode Island evidence context: Adults with at least a high school diploma. This record’s connection to the topic does not establish an effect on the measured result.

(g)Indicators of performanceSection 116(b)(2)(A) (29 U.S.C. 3141(b)(2)(A)) is amended—(1)in clause (i), by striking subclauses (IV) and (V) and inserting the following:(IV)the percentages of program participants who, during participation in the program—(aa)obtain a recognized postsecondary credential or a secondary school diploma or its recognized equivalent; and(bb)are in an education or training program that leads to a recognized postsecondary credential or employment and who are achieving measurable skill gains toward such a credential or employment;(V)the percentages of program participants who, within 1 year after exit from the program—(aa)obtain a secondary school diploma or its recognized equivalent;(bb)have obtained or retained employment; and(cc)are in an education or training program leading to a recognized postsecondary credential; and;(2)by striking clause (iii) and inserting the following:(iii)Interim indicators for adult educationA State may develop interim indicators for measuring the percentage of program participants on track to meet the indicators described in subclauses (IV) and (V) of clause (i) for adult education and literacy activities authorized under title II.; and(3)in clause (iv), by striking clauses (i)(VI) and inserting clause (i)(VI). 203.Authorization of appropriationsSection 206 of the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (29 U.S.C. 3275) is amended by striking this title and all that follows through the period at the end and inserting this title $810,000,000 for fiscal year 2026, $945,000,000 for fiscal year 2027, $1,080,000,000 for fiscal year 2028, $1,215,000,000 for fiscal year 2029, and $1,350,000,000 for fiscal year 2030.. 205.Performance and accountability systemSection 212 of the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (29 U.S.C. 3292) is amended to read as follows:212.Performance and accountability system(a)In general(1)In generalExcept as provided in subsection (b), programs and activities authorized under this title are subject to all of the performance accountability provisions described in section 116.(2)Additional measurable skill gainsWith respect to the application to programs and activities authorized under this title of the indicator of measurable skill gains under section 116(b)(2)(A)(i)(IV), such measurable skill gains may include those relating to the purpose described in section 202. (b)Pilot for innovative performance accountability systems(1)In generalThe Secretary shall approve an application from an eligible agency to pilot, for a subset of eligible providers within its State and as an alternative to the performance accountability system described in section 116, an innovative performance accountability system that uses alternative indicators of performance that have the potential to more accurately reflect the objectives and adult education and literacy activities of the eligible providers’ programs if the Secretary determines that an application from such an eligible agency meets the requirements of this subsection.(2)Pilot periodAn eligible agency applying to pilot an innovative performance accountability system under this subsection shall propose in its application the period of time that the agency desires to implement such system, except that the period shall not exceed 5 years.(3)Extension of a pilot periodThe Secretary shall approve an eligible agency’s request to extend the period of a pilot under this subsection if the Secretary determines that the innovative performance system is meeting the objectives of this subsection.(4)Application(A)In generalAn eligible agency desiring to undertake a pilot under this subsection shall submit an application at such time and in such manner as the Secretary may require.(B)ContentsAn application described in subparagraph (A) shall include—(i)a description of how the eligible agency engaged in an outreach process with eligible providers within its State to—(I)inform the eligible providers of the opportunity to implement a pilot under this subsection; and(II)engage with the eligible providers in the development of alternative indicators of performance;(ii)an explanation of whether and how the eligible agency established any standards or criteria for the alternative measures of performance that participating eligible providers could elect to use;(iii)a listing of the eligible providers that will participate in the proposed pilot and a description of the indicators of performance that each such provider will make use of through the pilot;(iv)a description of why the eligible agency and the participating eligible providers believe the proposed indicators of performance would more accurately measure the attainment of the objectives of such providers’ adult education and literacy activities than would the indicators of performance described in section 116(b)(2);(v)an explanation of how the proposed indicators of performance will be valid and reliable measures of education and employment consistent with purposes of this title;(vi)a description of how the eligible agency will collect, report to the Secretary, and make publicly available the proposed indicators of performance from each participating eligible provider on a timely basis; and(vii)an assurance that the eligible agency will, at the end of the pilot period, report to the Secretary on the outcomes of the pilot, including on whether the eligible agency met the objectives of the pilot.(C)Secretarial review and approvalThe Secretary shall determine whether to approve an application under this subsection by not later than 90 days of receiving the application.(D)DisapprovalThe Secretary shall not disapprove an application under this subsection without giving the applicant the opportunity to revise and resubmit the application.(5)Additional secretarial responsibilitiesThe Secretary shall—(A)through the Director of the Institute of Education Sciences, carry out national evaluations of the implementation and outcomes of the pilots authorized under this subsection, with the first such evaluation to be completed not later than 5 years after the Secretary approves the first application from an eligible entity;(B)in consultation with the Director of the Institute of Education Sciences, identify best practices in the development and implementation of innovative performance accountability systems under this subsection;(C)disseminate information on those practices, including by making the information available on the website of the Department of Education; and(D)provide a report to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate and the Committee on Education and Workforce of the House of Representatives on the results of the pilot program, including a comparison of the outcomes as measured by the innovative performance accountability systems implemented under this subsection and the performance measures described in section 116..