It’s not always easy to accept when forces beyond our control are to blame for things that make our lives more difficult, particularly when they result in real financial stress.

Rhode Islanders have been rightfully upset about skyrocketing electric and heating bills over the last year, which have forced many to make hard decisions about toughing out a cold winter or spending less in other areas to ensure they could heat and power their homes.

These are decisions, frankly, that no one should have to make.

And while it might be convenient and cathartic to lay all the blame for these high costs onto the utility that distributes 90% of our local energy – the utility formerly known as National Grid, now Rhode Island Energy – that approach misses the mark factually and does nothing to move us toward a better, less expensive future for Rhode Islanders.

The hard truth is that many of the drivers of energy prices in Rhode Island are completely out of the hands of Rhode Island Energy. New England relies heavily – over 50% – on liquid natural gas to heat homes during the winter. Demand for that commodity far outpaces supply, and the war in Ukraine (one of the world’s biggest exporters of natural gas, including to the United States) increased that demand and constrained production, leading to even higher prices during the crucial winter months.

Greed is not the answer, either. Much of Rhode Island Energy’s role is mandated by law. For example, it is not allowed to mark up the price of energy that it buys and then sells to customers. And while the company reported around $88 million in profits last year, it has not increased distribution rates to customers since 2018.

What gets the conspiratorially-minded folks riled up is Rhode Island Energy’s status as a public utility that is also funded by investor capital; meaning it is incentivized to return a profit on that investment. But this is standard operating procedure for many utility companies, and Rhode Island Energy’s return on investment for its investors is modest – hovering around 4%, which is less than the return on a government treasury bond (just north of 4.5%).

Rhode Island Energy is essentially a middleman between the producers of energy and the customers who rely on it being delivered reliably. It is responsible for maintaining all the infrastructure that delivers that energy and paying taxes on that infrastructure, which brings significant revenue to the state and its municipalities.

While pointing fingers might make us feel better for a short while, the only thing that will ease the pain from higher utility costs is to continue to improve policies for energy production and how we purchase our energy.

A bill from state Rep. Joseph Solomon Jr. to allow Rhode Island Energy to join other states in purchasing more nuclear power – more consistent than wind and solar and increasingly green as nuclear-waste disposal technology rapidly improves – is a good step toward relieving some of the stress on a system that is too reliant on liquefied natural gas.

We are encouraged by the leadership of Greg Cornett, president of Rhode Island Energy, who has put in the effort to listen to concerned ratepayers and take the heat from a population looking for a scapegoat.

While other leaders in the country are directing massive layoffs at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services – including firing everyone responsible for administering popular and effective LIHEAP program that keeps 6 million Americans from freezing or roasting to death during the most extreme weather months – Cornett’s apparently authentic desire to find ways to reduce our energy burden is a breath of fresh air.