Hosted by Connecticut Power and Energy Society (CPES) and Connecticut Bar Association’s (CBA) Energy Section

Policymakers share preview of energy priorities for 2019 legislative session

Transitioning to a renewable energy future, promoting economic opportunities for Connecticut ports, and keeping electricity rates as low as possible top the list of priorities for legislators overseeing energy policy in Connecticut

On February 5^th, the leaders of the General Assembly’s Joint Committee on Energy and Technology (E&T) offered a preview of their priorities for the 2019 legislative session in an annual gathering with members of the Connecticut Power and Energy Society (CPES) and the Connecticut Bar Association’s Energy, Public Utility and Communications Law Section (CBA). The panel included E&T Co-chairs Sen. Norm Needleman and Rep. David Arconti, and Ranking Members Sen. Paul Formica and Rep. Charlie Ferraro. They related their perspectives on energy to their experience as energy users in the business world and as local elected officials. The event took place at the UCONN School of Law in Hartford.

The panel touted economic opportunities for Connecticut’s ports as offshore wind is being developed in the federal waters of southern New England. Connecticut’s coastal cities of New London and Bridgeport are prime locations to benefit from the emerging industry, they said, and better options than shipping equipment from countries in Europe.

The panel discussed the need to balance support for renewable energy and bringing down costs for electric ratepayers.

Reaching the state’s current goal of achieving 40 percent renewable energy by 2040 will be a challenge, one lawmaker observed, but the panel also noted that the state needs to move more toward renewables to achieve climate goals. Lawmakers were asked about the outlook for putting a more meaningful price on carbon emissions than what’s in place through the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, or RGGI. One panelist observed that carbon pricing may be the best long-term way to reduce carbon emissions, but it’s unclear how Connecticut, acting alone, can solve what was described as a national—or even a global—challenge.

During opening remarks and Q&A with CPES and CBA members, lawmakers touched on a wide range of energy sources and technologies, including nuclear power, solar power, offshore wind, fuel cells, energy storage, [anaerobic] digester plants, and grid modernization initiatives that would enable consumers to put excess energy they produce back onto the electric grid. Stabilizing baseload generation in Connecticut—notably nuclear power—needs to be a priority, one lawmaker observed, in the transition to a renewable energy future and the “next generation” of energy supply.

Lawmakers said they don’t intend for any one issue to dominate this session, and signaled that the traditionally bipartisan approach to policymaking will continue on the E&T Committee.

Senator Formica, who has appeared regularly at the annual CPES/CBA gathering, said “meetings like this are helpful to see how the puzzle pieces come together.”

To see photos from the event, please click here.

RTO Insider Article From Legislative Preview: 
Conn. Lawmakers Get, Give 2019 Energy Issues Rundown

The panel will be moderated by Sebastian Lombardi, Day Pitney LLP. 

*Registration is being administered by the CT Power and Energy Society and credit will not be automatically posted to your CLE Tracker. You may, however, self-report the credit. If you need assistance with self-reporting, please e-mail Shirley Perrin at sperrin@ctbar.org.