A bill filed in the Rhode Island General Assembly would amend the current statute authorizing municipalities to conduct opt-out electricity aggregations to remove a requirement that opt-out aggregations be put before voters through a ballot question, and receive majority approval in such election prior to proceeding.

Under the bill (House Bill No. 5375), town ordinances, resolutions, or similar actions would suffice for authorization to launch an opt-out aggregation

The bill would also reduce the required public hearings to be held as a municipality considers an aggregation to a single meeting (from the current 2), and reduce the role of the PUC in overseeing aggregations.

Among the bills sponsors are Reps. James McLaughlin and Robert Lancia, who have offered other bills in response to significant default service rate hikes, including a bill which would cap electric rate increases at 5%, as detailed by WPRO

Although WPRO described McLaughlin's bill as imposing the 5% rate increase limit on National Grid and "other providers," the text we've seen limits the applicability to electric distribution companies (a separate bill would impose a similar limit on Verizon, which may be what WPRO is referencing).