Click to watch the full-length program Powering the Future: Rhode Island's Energy Alternatives.

Making Changes

Whether we conserve energy out of concern for the environment or the need to save money, the bottom line is: our old energy habits are changing.

Yet, as we move toward more energy efficient appliances, cars, homes, and workplaces, we seem to have more gadgets that draw on electricity or batteries. How do we best feed the need?

Powering the Future: Rhode Island's Energy Alternatives surveys Rhode Island's current energy conservation thought and practice – the research, policies, and programs that feature renewable, sustainable, alternative, and cost-effective energy. Powering the Future also probes the truth and the hype behind using these "green" technologies as a path for economic development and job creation in Rhode Island. 

"Our goal is to give Rhode Islanders an overview of the state's current energy picture, what's going on now and what is down the road," explained Dave Layman, producer and discussion moderator of Powering the Future: Rhode Island's Energy Alternatives. "Some options are very expensive and we are – or will be – picking up the tab. We are doubly invested as energy users and ratepayers," Layman added. "We need to know what we are buying and if it is worth it."

Current Environment

In many ways, Rhode Island is already making changes. Rhode Island has all the elements to successfully lead alternative energy research and implementation. Rhode Island is known as "The Ocean State" for its 411 miles of shoreline on Narragansett Bay in the Atlantic Ocean. It is home to the world-class College of Environment and Life Sciences at the nationally-recognized University of Rhode Island. Rhode Island's compact geographical size, and strategically located air, sea, and rail transportation make it an attractive site to conduct environmental and energy research and testing.

But for Rhode Island to attract the investment needed for development, the stakeholders – the political and regulatory decision makers, private investors, taxpayers, ratepayers, and residents of the project area – need information.

Unintended Consequences

An important part of balanced information gathering includes considering the unintended consequences of abandoning the devil we know – coal and oil as fuel sources, for example – and blindly embracing the devil we don't know – emerging "green" technologies and products that may pose a greater environmental threat at the end of their life cycles. For example, compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) last longer and use less electricity than incandescent bulbs, but a broken CFL leaks toxic mercury.

Powering the Future goes beyond the light switch to explore the resource – and cost – choices behind "green" energy. Dave Layman interviews advocates and opponents, experts and consumers in recorded video segments and two in-studio panel discussions.