Rhode Island Voters Will Decide on $55 Million Green Bond
The November 2026 ballot measure funds climate resilience and state infrastructure projects.
Updated on Oct. 5, 2026 in Environmental
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Rhode Island voters will decide in November 2026 whether to approve a $55 million Green Bond. The initiative appears as Question 5 on the ballot and represents a portion of a larger $600 million state borrowing package.
Why it matters
The bond aims to mitigate flooding, coastal erosion, and stormwater management risks across the state. It also expands funding to include new protections for farmland and open space.
The $55 million package includes $25 million for the Resilient Rhody Infrastructure Fund, $12 million for parks and campgrounds, and $7 million for watershed restoration. An additional $3 million is earmarked for brownfield remediation.
The players
Rhode Island Infrastructure Bank
The state entity responsible for administering infrastructure funding and matching grants for climate resilience projects.
The details
The bond functions via the Rhode Island Infrastructure Bank (RIIB), which administers the funds through matching grants for both public and private entities. These grants support technical projects designed to harden coastal and inland areas against environmental change. For example, a previous 2022 grant provided $1.8 million to East Providence for shore stabilization and bluff protection at the Looff Carousel beach.
Timeline
1980s: Rhode Island began placing environmental bond questions on state ballots.
2022: Voters approved the previous iteration of the Green Bond.
September 28, 2026: Officials held a campaign kickoff event for Question 5.
November 2026: Voters will cast their ballots on the bond questions.
The Tech Race
This bond proposal continues a funding trend originating in the 1980s to address systemic climate risks in Rhode Island. It serves as the primary mechanism for the state to maintain competitive resilience infrastructure relative to other coastal regions.
The bond impacts residents by funding state-managed improvements to public parks, beaches, and campgrounds throughout Rhode Island. If passed, these funds will facilitate local stabilization projects similar to recent work completed at the East Providence waterfront.
The takeaway
The ballot measure highlights the state's reliance on public debt to fund climate mitigation and infrastructure maintenance. Voters should review the full $600 million borrowing package on the November ballot to understand the broader fiscal impact.
What happens next
Voters will decide the outcome of the $55 million bond at the polls in November 2026.
Further reading
For more on local climate initiatives, visit Environmental.
Source note: This article includes information reported by ecoRI News.
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