Tag Archives: Connecticut Power and Energy

NEP: Energy Legislation 101: The Process and What Passed in 2017


Half Day Event, 9am – Noon
Connecticut Legislative Office Building
Thursday, September 28, 2017
Lobbying 101 Presentation 

Wrap Up:

CPES Holds Second 101 Series Event for New Energy Professionals!

On September 28, 2017, the Connecticut Power and Energy Society’s New Energy Professionals Committee hosted “Energy Legislation 101: The Process and What Passed in 2017” at the Legislative Office Building and State Capitol in Hartford, Connecticut. Energy Legislation 101 is the second in a series of informational sessions established to assist recently joined CPES members and those new to the industry as they become acclimated and involved within the organization. The overarching goal of the 101 series is to provide a meaningful overview of state agencies and businesses with whom professionals in the industry interact. While the event was geared toward New Energy Professionals, many established professionals were also in attendance.

The day began with an overview of the legislative process in Connecticut from Melissa Biggs, a partner at DePino, Nunez & Biggs, LLC, and Christopher Cordima, an attorney in the Connecticut Legislative Commissioners’ Office.

The overview was followed by a timely discussion of energy legislation that passed during the 2017 legislative session and what issues may arise next session. Joining the conversation were Senator Bob Duff, Representative Tim Ackert, Representative Holly Cheeseman, Representative Mike Demicco, Representative Stephen Harding, and Representative Jonathan Steinberg.  All serve on the General Assembly’s Energy & Technology Committee, Environment Committee, or both!

The day ended with a tour of the Legislative Office Building and State Capitol.

Blurb:
Please join us as Connecticut’s key energy and environment legislative staff and leaders offer a three-part Energy Legislation 101 to CPES New Energy Professionals*!  Come brush up on all the details of the legislative process.  Continue into a timely discussion of the bills which become effective as of October 1st.  Finish with a tour of the Legislative Office Building and Capitol.

This is a free event, but please register at your earliest convenience as space is limited.

Agenda:
9:00am – Networking, Coffee and Danish
(Second Floor Atrium of the Legislative Office Building)

9:30am – Energy Legislation 101:  Basics and Procedures (Hearing Room 2E)
Melissa Biggs, DePino, Nunez & Biggs, LLC
Christopher Cordima, CT Legislative Commissioners’ Office

10:00am – Current and Future Legislation Discussion: A detailed and timely conversation about the energy bills that just passed and become effective as of October 1st. (Hearing Room 2E)

11:15am: (Optional) The League of Women Voters is offering a tour of the Legislative Office Building and Capitol

*This group is not limited to age range or years of experience.  We welcome everyone to reach out to us.

The goal of the 101 series is to provide a meaningful overview of state agencies and businesses with whom professionals in our industry interact.  While this series was established with our New Energy Professionals in mind, all are welcome.” – Alex Isaac, NEP Group Member

 

Making Sense of Integrating Markets and Public Policy in New England (IMAPP): CPES / NEWIEE Joint Meeting

WRAP UP:

“Making Sense of IMAPP”
Integrating Markets and Public Policy in New England:

Sponsored by: Eversource, HQUS, Starion Energy, Robinson+Cole, DCO Energy, Globelé Energy, LLC
  

WRAP UP:
CPES and NEWIEE Host Joint Meeting on Integrating Markets and Public Policy (IMAPP) in New England

On September 13, 2017, the Connecticut Power and Energy Society (CPES) and New England Women in Energy and the Environment (NEWIEE) hosted a joint meeting in Hartford, Connecticut on an important regional topic—the integration of the region’s wholesale electricity markets with the public policy goals of the New England states. The meeting marked the third collaboration between CPES and NEWIEE, reflecting the organizations’ respective commitments to create opportunities to share information about hot topics in energy, while recognizing women who work in the industry. The panel discussion featured state and regional experts on energy, including Allison DiGrande, Director of NEPOOL Relations for ISO New England, Michelle Gardner, Director of Regulatory Affairs – Northeast for NextEra Energy Resources, and Elin Katz, Consumer Counsel for the State of Connecticut. Flossie Davis, Partner at Day Pitney LLP, moderated the panel and provided background on the stakeholder discussions launched by NEPOOL to consider potential market rule changes to integrate markets and public policy in New England.      

Allison DiGrande set the stage for the discussion, explaining how state polices promoting the procurement of clean energy resources are impacting the region’s wholesale electricity markets. She explained the proposal the ISO has put forward to accommodate the states’ public policy goals in the near term—called Competitive Auctions with Sponsored Policy Resources—involving enhancements to the region’s Forward Capacity Market. She noted that the ISO’s proposal is intended to integrate the states’ sponsored policy resources into the Forward Capacity Market over time while preserving competitively based capacity pricing for other resources in New England to ensure resource adequacy. She stated that the ISO is currently working with stakeholders on design details and plans to file its proposal with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) by the end of the year for review and approval.

Michelle Gardner discussed a longer-term proposal offered by NextEra Energy, Conservation Law Foundation, and Brookfield Renewable aimed at achieving the states’ public policy goals through the wholesale electricity markets. She laid out the general framework for a proposed Forward Clean Energy Market intended to procure the clean energy attributes of resources needed to fulfill the states’ long-term greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction goals. She explained that the design proposal is intended to not only attract new clean energy resources but also retain existing clean energy resources to cost-effectively reduce GHG emissions in New England. She also described the proposal’s location-specific payments to focus incentives to develop new clean energy resources where they will displace the most CO2 emissions.

Elin Katz voiced her support for a solution that accommodates the states’ public policy goals, expressing concern over the willingness and ability of the six New England states to gain consensus over one set of public policy goals to achieve through the markets. She explained to attendees that the Connecticut Office of Consumer Counsel is an active and voting member of the End-User Sector of NEPOOL, which gives consumer interests a voice in stakeholder discussions. She also touched on the issue of Millstone Nuclear Power Station and how the debate over the plant’s future is indicative of the challenges associated with coming to agreement over matters of state policy.

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Panel Description:
Since last August, market participants, policymakers, and other stakeholders have been discussing potential market rule changes to integrate the region’s wholesale electricity markets with the public policy goals of the New England states. Through that process, ISO New England has offered a conceptual approach to accommodate state policies in the near term, involving enhancements to the Forward Capacity Market. The region’s stakeholders are exploring several other concepts as well, including longer-term solutions aimed at achieving the states’ public policy goals, not simply accommodating them. How did we get here? How are consumers represented in these discussions? 

Location:
Day Pitney LLP, 242 Trumbull Street, Hartford, CT 06103

Program:

  • 5:30: Registration and networking reception
  • 6:15: Welcoming remarks by NEWIEE and CPES Board Members
    • Elizabeth C. Barton, NEWIEE President and Partner, Day Pitney LLC
    • Joey Lee Miranda, CPES President and Partner, Robinson+Cole
  • 6:30: Panel discussion: Making Sense of IMAPP: Integrating Markets and Public Policy in New England
  • 7:30: Conclusion

 

CPES Policy Committee Update: July 10, 2017

This update features policy, regulatory, legislative, and regional developments in Connecticut and New England. The policy updates are compiled by the CPES New Energy Professionals Team. If you are interested in learning more about the New Energy Professionals, the Policy Committee, or if you have ideas for future policy updates, we would welcome your input and feedback. Please send comments to Kathryn Dube, CPES Executive Director, via email: kdube@ctpower.org.

This week’s feature:

  • Summer 2017 Update on Regional Transmission Investment
  • Office of Legislative Research Report on Acts Affecting Energy & Utilities
  • Three New PURA Dockets

REGIONAL AND INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENTS
Summer 2017 Update on Regional Transmission Investment
ISO New England recently published the June 2017 update to the Regional System Plan (RSP) Project List, which details Pool Transmission Facility (PTF) projects needed to ensure reliability in New England. Since the March 2017 update, 2 projects plus a portion of a third were cancelled, 16 upgrades were placed in service across Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island, and 2 new projects were added to the list. Additionally, some project cost estimates changed, and in-service dates for 4 projects were moved into 2022.

Since 2002, a cumulative total of 730 project components representing an investment of $8.4 billion have been placed into service to help ensure that New England’s transmission system continues to reliably and efficiently move electricity across the region.

For more information, visit the ISO Newswire.

PUBLIC UTILITIES REGULATORY AUTHORITY NEW DOCKETS:

On June 27, 2017, PURA established the following docket:

On June 28, 2017, PURA established the following docket:

On June 29, 2017, PURA established the following docket:

CONNECTICUT LEGISLATIVE UPDATE

The Office of Legislative Research recently released the special report on Acts Affecting Energy & Utilities.

The 2017 Regular Session adjourned on June 7, 2017.  Information about the Energy and Technology Committee, including committee meetings and public hearings, is available at: https://www.cga.ct.gov/et/

 CPES does not take a position on these legislative proposals; this is provided for informational purposes only to CPES members.