5Q: David J. Bonenberger

from PBN August 5, 2022

The R.I. Public Transit Authority is preparing to start construction on a $6.7 million charging station in Cranston that will allow electric buses to be charged in minutes

President, Rhode Island Energy

BY NANCY LAVIN | Lavin@PBN.com

PBN PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO

1Why did PPL Corp. choose to rename Narragansett Electric Co. to Rhode Island Energy? The new name reflects our focus on the entire state and all of our customers. We also believe it reflects us as a Rhode Island company served by employees who are committed to the state.

2What do you see as the greatest priorities in taking over the state’s gas and electric business? First, our focus is on making this transition as smooth as possible for our customers and employees, all the while continuing to deliver energy safely and reliably. The second area of focus will be to create a roadmap for the Act on Climate law and decarbonization of the gas network. We made commitments to have both these studies completed within one year through a very robust stakeholder process. Third, we want to work with our customers to help them navigate the rising costs of energy. Due to a variety of reasons, including the anticipated increase and demand for natural gas, New England will soon see some of the highest electricity prices in years this winter.

3There was some concern surrounding the sale from environmental groups who didn’t think PPL Corp. had the experience to lead Rhode Island’s renewable energy goals. What would you say to those concerns? We believe we are uniquely qualified to support Rhode Island’s decarbonization goals. We’re excited to prove ourselves and play a key role in this important journey. A critical path to achieving those goals lies in smart grid technology, and PPL has created arguably one of the smartest grids in the country to enable this transition while maintaining safe and reliable service.

4How does PPL’s experience running utilities in Pennsylvania and Kentucky translate to its operations in Rhode Island? Our customer-centric approach knows no geographic boundaries. We are committed to delivering significant value in every community we serve, and our track record of doing it will benefit Rhode Island. In Pennsylvania, we’ve reduced customer outages by nearly 30% over the past decade. We’ve also improved customer satisfaction by 20%, winning 10 straight J.D. Power awards during that time frame. Importantly, while making those improvements, we’ve kept operating costs essentially flat for the past 11 years.

5What can customers expect in terms of changes to their experience in the coming year? Rhode Islanders should know we’re committed to meeting the state’s renewable goals by building one of the nation’s most advanced energy grids. That includes addressing aging infrastructure, investments to make the grid more resilient to everincreasing storms, while creating the grid of the future with advanced meter functionality and grid modernization. We know we can improve reliability and customer service, enable more clean energy – including solar and wind – and support the state’s decarbonization goals. It won’t happen overnight, but it’s coming. Rhode Island Energy has the team to make it happen. n