Rhode Island Energy Winter Last Resort Service: Docket 26-27-EL Rate Filing

How Rhode Island Last Resort Service works

Rhode Island Energy (formerly National Grid Rhode Island) procures default supply for customers who do not choose a third-party supplier. That default product is called Last Resort Service (LRS). Rates reset on April 1 for the summer period and October 1 for the winter period [ri-lrs-26-27-filing].

For a cannabis cultivator running dehumidification and supplemental heat through New England winters, the October reset sets supply costs for the six highest-load months of the year. Docket 26-27-EL covers the winter 2026-27 filing [ri-lrs-winter-filing].

What Docket 26-27-EL proposed

Rhode Island Energy filed for winter Last Resort Service rates effective October 1, 2026 through March 31, 2027 [ri-lrs-winter-filing]. Coverage of the filing reported a proposed rate of approximately 17.7 cents per kWh for the winter LRS period [ri-lrs-winter-filing].

Compare that to the April 2026 summer LRS rates filed in Docket 26-03-EL, which set lower supply prices for the April through September period [ri-lrs-26-27-filing]. The seasonal split means a cultivator on default supply sees two distinct supply prices each year.

EIA reported Rhode Island's average commercial price at 22.14 cents per kWh in mid-2026, reflecting supply plus delivery in the statewide average [eia-epm-5-6-a].

Summer vs winter: why the gap matters for grows

Indoor cultivation load does not follow residential patterns. Flower rooms run lighting schedules year-round. Winter adds:

• Supplemental heating for air intake
• Higher dehumidification load when cold outside air carries less moisture
• Longer HVAC runtime to maintain VPD targets

Season	LRS period	Typical grow load driver
Summer	Apr 1 to Sep 30	Cooling, dehumidification, lighting
Winter	Oct 1 to Mar 31	Heating, dehumidification, lighting

A facility using 400,000 kWh per month pays $70,800 in supply alone at 17.7 cents per kWh [ri-lrs-winter-filing]. The same kWh at a summer rate of 14 cents would cost $56,000. That $14,800 monthly gap is why contract timing matters.

Worked example: Providence-area cultivation facility

Assume a 15,000 sq ft indoor grow in Rhode Island at 300 kW peak and 360,000 kWh monthly use. Illustration only.

Line item	Winter LRS at 17.7¢	Fixed contract at 15.5¢
Supply (360,000 kWh)	$63,720	$55,800
Delivery demand (300 kW x ~$15/kW)	$4,500	$4,500
Delivery energy (360,000 kWh x ~$0.04)	$14,400	$14,400
Monthly total (supply + delivery)	~$82,620	~$74,700

Savings depend on the fixed quote you receive and contract term. Delivery lines are identical either way. Only supply is shoppable.

Shopping supply before October 1

Rhode Island commercial customers can enroll with a licensed competitive supplier [ri-lrs-26-27-filing]. Rhode Island Energy continues to deliver power and bill delivery charges. Switching supply does not affect demand charges on the utility tariff.

Steps before the winter reset:

1. Pull last winter's bills (October through March) and calculate your blended all-in rate.
2. Request fixed-price quotes for 12 months covering the winter period.
3. Compare against the proposed 17.7 cent LRS benchmark [ri-lrs-winter-filing].
4. Read pass-through language on ISO-NE capacity and renewable portfolio charges.

See how to switch electricity suppliers in Rhode Island.

Rhode Island cannabis context

Rhode Island legalized adult-use cannabis with cultivation licenses available to qualified applicants. New facilities entering the market in 2026 face their first full winter on default LRS unless they shop supply at energization.

Rhode Island's small geographic footprint means most operators sit in Rhode Island Energy territory. There is no second investor-owned utility to compare within the state. Your benchmark is LRS vs competitive supply, not utility vs utility.

April vs October: diarizing your calendar

Rhode Island's twice-yearly LRS reset creates two decision points per year [ri-lrs-26-27-filing]:

Date	Action
August to September	Shop supply before October 1 winter LRS
February to March	Shop supply before April 1 summer LRS
Contract expiry	Align renewal with the nearest reset window

If your third-party contract expires in November, you will ride winter LRS for at least one month unless you renew before October 1. Plan renewals 60 to 90 days ahead to avoid gap months on default supply.

What the PUC may change

The 17.7 cent figure is the utility's filed proposal [ri-lrs-winter-filing]. The Rhode Island PUC may approve, reduce, or modify the rate before it takes effect October 1. Track Docket 26-27-EL on the PUC website for the final order.

Even if the PUC trims the proposal, winter wholesale costs in ISO-NE typically exceed summer. A fixed contract signed in September locks your price before the cold season regardless of the final LRS outcome.

For Rhode Island commercial rate context, see Rhode Island commercial electricity rates and cultivation facility energy.

ISO-NE winter price context

Rhode Island LRS procurement reflects ISO-NE wholesale costs [ri-lrs-winter-filing]. Cold winters drive gas prices and electricity forwards up across New England. The 17.7 cent winter proposal [ri-lrs-winter-filing] sits in that regional context. Fixed contracts signed in September lock supply before winter LRS takes effect October 1.

Delivery charges stack on LRS

Winter LRS is supply only [ri-lrs-26-27-filing]. Delivery demand and energy from Docket 26-05-EL apply at the same time [ri-lrs-26-27-filing]. See RI Energy delivery filing analysis for the delivery side of the same bill.

Greenhouse vs indoor winter load

Greenhouse operators may see lower kWh per square foot but higher heating load in winter [ri-lrs-winter-filing]. Indoor facilities run full lighting year-round with added HVAC cost in cold months. Both profiles pay the same LRS cents per kWh but total supply dollars differ based on monthly kWh use.

Comparing winter LRS to a fixed supplier offer

Winter Last Resort Service resets October 1 each year. The filed 17.7 cent proposal for 2026-27 is a benchmark, not necessarily the final approved rate [ri-lrs-winter-filing]. Request fixed supplier quotes in August and compare the winter period separately from the April 1 summer LRS window.

Rhode Island commercial customers may shop supply but not delivery. A fixed winter block in your supply contract can offset LRS volatility if the PUC approves a high winter price.

ISO-NE forward winter prices and LRS procurement

Rhode Island Energy procures Last Resort Service from wholesale markets that reflect ISO New England forward prices [ri-lrs-winter-filing]. Winter months drive higher gas demand for heating across New England, which pushes electricity forwards up relative to summer [ri-lrs-26-27-filing]. The proposed 17.7 cent winter LRS rate for October 2026 through March 2027 sits in that regional context [ri-lrs-winter-filing].

Cultivators cannot control ISO-NE fuel prices. They can control whether they ride default LRS or lock a fixed competitive supplier price before October 1 [ri-lrs-26-27-filing]. A fixed contract signed in September converts uncertain winter LRS into a known supply line for six months.

Heating load and dehumidification in cold months

Indoor facilities run full lighting year-round. Winter adds cost when cold outside air requires heating to maintain room temperature and when dehumidifiers work harder against dry intake air [ri-lrs-winter-filing]. Greenhouse operators with heat curtains may see different kWh shapes than sealed indoor rooms but still pay the same LRS cents per kWh [eia-epm-5-6-a].

Assume 360,000 kWh monthly use. At the proposed 17.7 cent winter LRS rate, supply alone runs $63,720 per month [ri-lrs-winter-filing]. A fixed supplier quote at 15.5 cents saves $7,920 monthly on supply before delivery. Over six winter months that is $47,520 in supply savings if the quote holds and the PUC approves the full 17.7 cent LRS level.

Aligning contract blocks with seasonal LRS windows

Rhode Island resets LRS twice per year [ri-lrs-26-27-filing]. Suppliers sometimes offer seasonal blocks that price winter and summer separately. Compare a twelve-month flat contract against a winter-heavy block if your load peaks October through March.

If your third-party contract expires in February, you will ride winter LRS for at least one month at the new October rate unless you renew before October 1 [ri-lrs-winter-filing]. Mark both dates on your procurement calendar: August shopping for October winter LRS, and February shopping for April summer LRS [ri-lrs-26-27-filing].

New facilities energizing before October 2026

Rhode Island cannabis operators who energize new meters in summer 2026 start on summer LRS from Docket 26-03-EL [ri-lrs-26-27-filing]. Their first supply reset is October 1 when winter LRS from Docket 26-27-EL takes effect [ri-lrs-winter-filing]. Sign a competitive supplier contract before energization if you want to skip two LRS resets in the first six months of operation.

Default LRS requires no enrollment action. Shopping supply requires choosing a licensed competitive supplier and allowing Rhode Island Energy to process the switch [ri-lrs-26-27-filing]. Plan fifteen to thirty business days for enrollment before your target start date [eia-epm-5-6-a].

Track Docket 26-27-EL on the Rhode Island PUC website for the final approved winter rate. The 17.7 cent figure is the filed proposal [ri-lrs-winter-filing]. The Commission may approve a different number before October 1. Budget using the filed rate as a ceiling and re-run your supplier comparison when the final order publishes [ri-lrs-26-27-filing].