Climate Action Rhode Island (CARI), a volunteer-driven, grassroots activist group dedicated to fighting the climate crisis and promoting environmental justice with over 4000 members, is proud to announce today our endorsement of Helena Foulkes in the 2026 race for Governor of Rhode Island. We are impressed with both her grasp of climate issues and her strong, engaging leadership style.
CARI’s Executive Director Jeff Migneault noted: “Helena is a leader who understands that local clean energy will lower our utility bills while protecting our air, water, and climate. We are committed to doing everything we can to help get her elected. Our election work will include member engagement, direct voter contact, and a GOTV effort.”
“I am honored to have Climate Action Rhode Island’s support,” said Foulkes. “With over 400 miles of coastline, Rhode Island is uniquely vulnerable to climate change. The members of CARI are doing hard work to protect our state, educate Rhode Islanders, and lead our state to climate safety, and I look forward to working alongside them as governor.”
In her comprehensive climate plan, No False Choices, Foulkes outlines key commitments that align perfectly with our mission to combat the climate crisis. She decisively rejects the false choice between affordable utility bills and climate action. Among her key provisions, Foulkes will invest $40 million to help residents and small businesses install solar and battery storage, while also providing clean solar power to 250 school rooftops and municipal buildings. Beyond expanding solar, she promises to hold Rhode Island Energy accountable for unjust rate hikes, streamline the years-long interconnection backlog for renewables at ISO New England, and require massive energy users like AI data centers to pay their own way. Additionally, she is committed to pushing back against the Trump Administration’s assault on offshore wind energy.
Foulkes’ approach stands in stark contrast to the incumbent governor’s disappointing climate record. While Governor McKee deserves credit for supporting our progress on offshore wind, he tried to dramatically weaken our state’s Renewable Energy Standard, a requirement that electric companies steadily increase the amount of electricity they provide from renewable sources until they reach 100% by 2033. Rolling back this standard would have locked in decades of increased reliance on imported, expensive, polluting fossil fuels. He proposed significant cuts to our energy efficiency programs, which have proven to reduce both energy use and costs for Rhode Islanders. Recently, he also attempted to remove two key members of the state’s Energy Efficiency Council.
Gov. McKee did not respond to our request for an interview.