McKee welcomes Biden at T.F. Green, extends invite to Rhode Island in near future

WARWICK, R.I. (WLNE) — Gov. Dan McKee welcomed President Joe Biden in Warwick ahead of his visit to Massachusetts.

In a tweet Wednesday, the governor said he looks forward to meeting the governor at Rhode Island T.F. Green International Airport. Warwick Mayor Frank Picozzi said he was also on the tarmac to greet the president.

Air Force One landed at the airport at about 1:15 p.m.

In June, the White House launched a partnership with 11 East Coast governors, including Rhode Island, to boost the growing offshore wind industry. Expansion of offshore wind is part of Biden’s plans for climate change.

McKee signed a new offshore wind bill earlier this month, requiring a procurement for between 600 and 1,000 megawatts of newly-developed offshore wind capacity.

Following the President’s arrival and a brief conversation with the governor, McKee said, “That connection [with the President] allows Rhode Island to have the network that it needs to take full advantage of the momentum that we have right now.”

Now that Biden has landed at T.F. Green, he will head to the Brayton Point power plant in Somerset, Massachusetts. The coal-fired plant is shifting to an off-shore wind manufacturing center.

While there, Biden will speak on moving towards renewable, clean energy.

McKee told ABC 6 News that he plans to invite the president to spend a few hours in Rhode Island in the near future.