Rhode Island General Laws Title 42. State Affairs and Government § 42-140.1-4. Composition and appointment

(a) The council shall consist of fifteen (15) members appointed by the governor with the advice and consent of the senate; eleven (11) members shall be voting members, and the governor shall give due consideration to appointing persons with knowledge of: (1) Energy regulation and law; (2) Large commercial/industrial users, (3) Small commercial/industrial users; (4) Residential users; (5) Low-income users; (6) Environmental issues pertaining to energy; (7) Energy design and codes; (8) Energy efficiency education and employment tracking; and (9) Municipal energy users; (10) Large nonprofit institutional users; and (11) Small nonprofit institutional users. Four (4) members shall be ex-officio, non-voting members, representing an electric distribution entity, a gas distribution entity, fuel oil or heating fuel industry, and the commissioner of the office of energy resources. From the eleven (11) voting members, the governor shall appoint one person to be chairperson of the council and one person to be vice chairperson of the council; the commissioner of the office of energy resources shall be the executive secretary and executive director of the council.

(b) With the exception of the commissioner of the office of energy resources; of the initial appointments; three (3) members shall be appointed for a term of three (3) years, three (3) members shall be appointed for a term of four (4) years, and four (4) members shall be appointed for a term of five (5) years; thereafter members of the council shall be appointed for a term of five (5) years and may be reappointed.

(c) A simple majority of the total number of voting members shall constitute a quorum.

(d) A vacancy other than by expiration shall be filled in the manner of the original appointment but only for the unexpired portion of the term. The appointing authority shall have the power to remove its appointee for just cause.

(e) The members of the council shall not be compensated for their service but shall be reimbursed for their actual expenses necessarily incurred in the performance of their duties. The provisions of this subdivision shall not apply to the executive secretary/executive director.