Mayor’s Leadership

Providence deserves an energy system that is clean, reliable, and affordable — without taking up our limited city land.

Michael English proposes launching a Providence Energy Independence Initiative built around Small Modular Nuclear Reactors (SMRs), paired with local solar, battery storage, and district heating.

This plan will:

• Deliver 24/7 clean power to homes, businesses, hospitals, and schools.
   
• Cut long-term energy costs for residents.
   
• Create hundreds of skilled jobs in construction, maintenance, and engineering.
   
• Position Providence as the first major U.S. city powered primarily by compact, zero-carbon nuclear energy.
   

This is a working-class, future-focused plan — clean energy without elitism, and jobs without pollution.

• Providence imports nearly all its electricity through ISO-New England.
   
• Rhode Island’s energy prices are among the highest in the nation, driven by natural gas imports and volatile markets.
   
• The city’s land is limited — we can’t carpet our neighborhoods with solar farms or wind turbines.
   
• Climate goals require zero-carbon baseload power — something only nuclear and advanced geothermal can reliably provide.
   

Michael English’s plan answers that reality with innovation and practicality — not slogans.

SMRs are next-generation nuclear power plants designed to be:

• Compact and factory-built, dramatically reducing size and land use.
   
• Safe and self-contained, using passive cooling that prevents meltdown risk.
   
• Scalable, allowing cities to add modules as demand grows.
   
• Carbon-free and continuous, operating 24/7 regardless of weather.
   

• Partner with federal agencies and private SMR developers to site 2–3 SMR modules (roughly 231 MW total).
   
• Supply 100% of Providence’s power needs with an annual output of ~2.0 TWh (enough to serve every resident and business).
   
• Create a Providence Clean Energy Authority (PCEA) to oversee the project, combining public oversight with private expertise.
   

• Stable, predictable electricity prices for decades.
   
• Local construction and technical jobs with union protections.
   
• Land-efficient — one SMR site could fit on the footprint of a single industrial block.
   
• Attractive to new industries like data centers, manufacturing, and biotech seeking reliable green power.
   

SMRs provide the baseload. Providence will also:

1. Install rooftop solar on city buildings and schools — creating daytime peak support.
    
2. Add short-term battery systems for grid stability and emergency resilience.
    
3. Develop district heating loops using SMR waste heat — providing low-cost heating to downtown buildings, reducing oil and gas use.
    

Together, this hybrid system will make Providence a model city for small-scale, full-spectrum clean energy.

ItemEstimateImpactSMR Modules3 × 77 MW (231 MW total)Covers ~2.0 TWh/year — Providence’s entire needCapital Cost$1.4–1.8 billion (mid-range)Financed through public-private partnershipLCOE (cost per MWh)$70–$85Competitive with current gas-fired pricesAnnual Savings (vs. imports)$15–30 million per year (projected by year 10)Local energy independencePermanent Jobs~300–400Operations, maintenance, researchConstruction Jobs1,500–2,000Skilled union trades for 3–4 years  

Michael English’s plan will:

• Prioritize union labor for construction and maintenance.
   
• Create apprenticeship programs in partnership with CCRI, NEIT, and local trade unions for nuclear technicians, welders, and electricians.
   
• Establish a “Made in Providence” energy workforce pipeline for young residents and veterans.
   

This plan turns the clean energy transition into a working-class renaissance — not an elite project.

• The SMR facility would be located in an industrial zone (potentially Port of Providence or nearby energy corridor).
   
• Modern SMRs use passive safety systems and cannot melt down — they are built in underground containment vessels with redundant cooling.
   
• The NRC (Nuclear Regulatory Commission) has already approved the NuScale design, setting the stage for safe deployment.
   
• Providence will hold public safety hearings and create a community oversight board before any construction.
   

• Zero emissions during operation.
   
• Minimal waste volume (SMRs produce only ~1% of the waste of traditional large nuclear plants).
   
• Land footprint is less than 10 acres for an entire city’s power supply.
   
• Reduces Providence’s carbon emissions by 60–70% within 15 years when combined with electric transit and heating conversions.
   

2026–2027:

• Establish the Providence Clean Energy Authority.
   
• Conduct feasibility & siting studies with DOE, NRC, and RI Office of Energy Resources.
   
• Begin community consultations and environmental review.
   

2028–2030:

• Secure funding (federal clean-energy grants, DOE loan guarantees, and private equity).
   
• Begin permitting and site preparation.
   
• Launch workforce training initiatives.
   

2030–2033:

• Begin modular assembly and installation.
   
• Expand rooftop solar and district heating network.
   

2034:

• First SMR module online — Providence becomes America’s first nuclear-powered city.
   

“Providence can lead the nation again — not by talking about clean energy, but by building it.
This plan isn’t about politics or parties; it’s about jobs, fairness, and the future.
Let’s power Providence with the strength of our workers, the safety of modern technology, and the vision of a city that never runs out of energy or opportunity.”
— Michael English, D.Min, MBA, BAIB
Blue-Collar Democrat for Mayor of Providence 2026