State Climate Panel Approves $1.5M Spending Plan

What this means

PROVIDENCE, RI – Yesterday, the Executive Climate Change Coordinating Council (EC4), chaired by Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM) Director Terry Gray, approved a spending plan for FY2027, allocating $1.5 million across state partners to support Rhode Island’s implementation of the Act on Climate law. The EC4 panel assesses RI’s efforts to cut greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, guiding state agencies to do their part in cutting GHGs and help strengthen the climate resiliency of local communities.

Official release

Source material from Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management — Agriculture. The wording below is the issuer’s statement.

State Climate Panel Approves $1.5M Spending Plan

Published on Friday, September 25, 2026

PROVIDENCE, RI – Yesterday, the Executive Climate Change Coordinating Council (EC4), chaired by Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM) Director Terry Gray, approved a spending plan for FY2027, allocating $1.5 million across state partners to support Rhode Island’s implementation of the Act on Climate law. The EC4 panel assesses RI’s efforts to cut greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, guiding state agencies to do their part in cutting GHGs and help strengthen the climate resiliency of local communities.

“This spending plan makes important investments to make Rhode Island more resilient and sustainable,” said Governor Dan McKee. “EC4 gives our state agencies a way to work together on solutions that will benefit Rhode Islanders today and in the years ahead.”

“The demand for the EC4’s $1.5M in annual funding continues to grow, with 30 project proposals from 13 different agencies and organizations totaling more than $4.1M in requested funding,” said Terry Gray, DEM Director and EC4 Chair. “All the proposals were excellent and well developed, with demand nearly doubling over the past two years, the FY2027 EC4 spending plan reflects innovations and commitments from a growing number of state agency partners to advance meaningful climate action and invest in projects that move Rhode Island toward a cleaner, sustainable, and resilient future.”

“The upcoming EC4 funding cycle builds on prior efforts and advances several important initiatives, including ongoing energy education and outreach on weatherization and energy efficiency opportunities, workforce development, climate resiliency, and support for energy docket proceedings that help move forward the state’s energy priorities and Act on Climate electricity‑related work,” said Chris Kearns, Acting Rhode Island Office of Energy Resources Commissioner and EC4 Vice Chair.

EC4 funding will support climate action efforts across state partners, including $165,000 to the RI Department of Education (RIDE) for resilient, low-carbon, high-performance school infrastructure. and $50,000 to DEM to establish Rhode Island’s first dedicated state funding source for regenerative agriculture through DEM’s Local Agriculture and Seafood Act (LASA) grant program. The University of Rhode Island will receive $476,312 for three projects focused on municipal energy resilience, energy efficiency, and environmental education. View the complete spending plan here.

For more information on DEM programs and initiatives, visit www.dem.ri.gov. Follow DEM on Facebook, Twitter/X (@RhodeIslandDEM), or Instagram (@rhodeisland.dem) for timely updates. Sign up here to receive the latest press releases, news, and events from DEM's Public Affairs Office to your inbox.

Date

Fri, 09/25/2026 - 14:09

Release text attributed to Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management — Agriculture. Consult the official publication for any subsequent corrections or updates.