Rhode Island Energy conditionally selects 150 MW from proposed 800 MW Maine onshore wind project

On September 8, 2026, Rhode Island Energy announced the conditional selection of 150 MW of renewable energy from Clearway Energy Group‘s proposed wind project in Aroostook County, Maine — a move made under Rhode Island’s Affordable Clean Energy Security Act. The Clearway development is planned at 800 MW total capacity, which would make it the largest onshore wind project in New England upon completion.

Rhode Island Energy conditionally awards 150 MW wind contract

This conditional selection puts Rhode Island Energy at the center of what could be a landmark regional energy deal. Under the Affordable Clean Energy Security Act, the utility identified Clearway’s Aroostook County project as a qualifying source. If negotiations succeed and regulators sign off, RIE locks in 150 MW of clean energy through a long-term power purchase agreement.

That agreement still needs to clear the Rhode Island Public Utilities Commission before it’s final. RIE and Clearway are now entering formal contract negotiations — the next critical step before anything gets set in stone.

The goal was to pool resources, assess options collectively, and land on projects large enough to actually move the needle on the region’s clean energy supply.

Multi-state solicitation led by Maine PUC drove the selection

This deal didn’t happen in isolation. The Maine Public Utilities Commission led a competitive, multi-state solicitation seeking proposals for up to 1,200 MW of renewable energy resources, while also looking for transmission solutions capable of moving power from northern Maine to customers across New England.

RIE evaluated generation proposals alongside other New England states — a coordinated regional effort officials describe as a first-of-its-kind procurement. The goal was to pool resources, assess options collectively, and land on projects large enough to actually move the needle on the region’s clean energy supply. Most utilities run their own solicitations independently, so this process signals a real shift toward regional thinking in clean energy infrastructure.

Project would deliver major capacity increase for the region

The scale of the Clearway project is what makes it stand out. At 800 MW total, it would be more than four times larger than New England’s current biggest operating onshore wind facility — not a marginal upgrade, but a generational leap in regional wind capacity.

If completed, the Aroostook County development would become the largest onshore wind project in New England, full stop. RIE’s 150 MW slice would be delivered through a long-term power purchase agreement, with power generated in the wind-rich stretches of northern Maine flowing through transmission infrastructure to customers across the broader region, including Rhode Island ratepayers.

The transmission component matters as much as the generation side. Northern Maine has strong wind resources but limited grid connections to population centers further south. What made this solicitation distinctive was its explicit focus on pairing generation proposals with viable transmission solutions — a detail that shaped the entire evaluation process.

Context: Rhode Island’s clean energy mandates and next steps

Rhode Island isn’t pursuing this deal in a vacuum. The state’s 2021 Act on Climate set legally binding decarbonization requirements, and utilities like RIE are expected to make procurement decisions that support those long-term goals. Selecting large-scale renewable energy through a competitive regional process fits squarely into that mandate.

Greg Cornett, president of RIE, framed the selection in those terms. “We are committed to helping advance a reliable, safe, affordable, and increasingly clean energy future for our customers, while supporting Rhode Island’s 2021 Act on Climate requirements,” he said in the announcement. He also pointed to the project’s potential to strengthen New England’s energy infrastructure and diversify the region’s energy supply.

RIE serves over 770,000 customers across Rhode Island, delivering both electricity and natural gas, and operates as a subsidiary of PPL Corporation, publicly traded on the NYSE. With a customer base that size, locking in long-term renewable energy at competitive rates could have a measurable impact on Rhode Island households and businesses over time.

Two hurdles remain. RIE and Clearway need to finalize power purchase agreement terms through formal negotiations, and that agreement must then receive approval from the Rhode Island Public Utilities Commission before taking effect.

First-of-its-kind procurement

Here’s where things stand. Rhode Island Energy conditionally selected 150 MW from Clearway Energy Group’s proposed 800 MW onshore wind project in Aroostook County, Maine. The selection was made under Rhode Island’s Affordable Clean Energy Security Act and emerged from a multi-state solicitation led by the Maine PUC — described as a first-of-its-kind regional procurement process.

The Clearway project, if built, would be the largest onshore wind development in New England and more than four times the size of the region’s current largest operating onshore wind facility. RIE’s share would be delivered through a long-term power purchase agreement, pending successful contract negotiations and Rhode Island PUC approval. The project also supports Rhode Island’s binding climate targets under the 2021 Act on Climate.

Kelly Lippke

Kelly is an experienced writer with 15 years of experience exploring the big stories that shape our world, from tech breakthroughs and space exploration to climate, energy, and the fascinating quirks of science. She has a talent for turning complex ideas into sharp, memorable insights that stay with readers long after they’ve finished reading.