Tag Archives: Legislation

CPES Policy Committee Update: January 20, 2020

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 Committee or if you have ideas for future policy updates, we welcome your input and feedback. Please send comments to Kathryn Dube, CPES Executive Director, via email: kdube@ctpower.org.

In this Update:

  • DEEP’s 2020 Legislative Proposals

Connecticut
2020 Legislative Session
The 2020 Legislative Session will convene on Wednesday, February 5th. Department of Energy and Environmental Protection 2020 Legislative Proposals

2019 Annual Legislative Preview | February 5, 2019 | UCONN School of Law

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 5th, 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


 

 

CPES is once again partnering with the Connecticut Bar Association’s Energy Section to bring you the Annual Legislative Preview. The leaders of the Energy & Technology Committee will provide insight on their priorities for the 2019 Legislative Session.

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


AGENDA: 

5:00 PM – 6:30 PM: Networking Reception
The staff of the state’s regulatory agencies have been invited for this extended networking mix and mingle.

6:30 PM – 8:30 PM: Panel Discussion with Legislators
The leaders of the Energy & Technology Committee will provide insight on their priorities for the 2019 Legislative Session. 

WHERE:
University of Connecticut School of Law, 55 Elizabeth Street, Hartford, CT 06105;
William F. Starr Hall, second floor, Reading Room
UCONN School of Law MAP   |  Parking

CLE CREDITS:
CT: 1.5 CLE Credits*  |  NY: 0.0 CLE Credits*

*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.

CPES Policy Committee Update: March 6, 2017

This update features policy, regulatory, legislative, and regional developments in Connecticut and New England. The policy updates are compiled by a team recently formed with support from CPES, known as the New Energy Professionals. 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 features:

  • FERC Staff To Hold Technical Conference on Wholesale Markets and State Policies
  • Connecticut Legislative Update
  • Energy and Technology Committee to Hold Public Hearing on March 7th

REGIONAL AND INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENTS

FERC Staff To Hold Technical Conference on Wholesale Markets and State Policies

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) staff will hold a 2-day technical conference on May 1 and May 2, 2017 to discuss the intersection of state policies and wholesale energy and capacity markets operated by the Eastern Regional Transmission Organizations (RTOs) and Independent System Operators (ISOs). According to the Notice of Technical Conference, “Over the years, the rules underpinning competitive wholesale markets have evolved to address a myriad of issues while ensuring the reliable delivery and sale of electricity at just and reasonable rates. In recent years, there has been increased interest by state policy makers to pursue policies that prioritize certain resources or resource attributes. Because the wholesale competitive markets, as currently designed, select resources based on principles of operational and economic efficiency without specific regard to resource type, there is an open question of how the competitive wholesale markets, particularly in states or regions that restructured their retail electricity service, can select resources of interest to state policy makers while preserving the benefits of regional markets and economic resource selection.” According to the notice, the technical conference will foster “further discussion regarding the development of regional solutions in the Eastern RTOs/ISOs that reconcile the competitive market framework with the increasing interest by states to support particular resources or resource attributes.” For more information, visit the FERC website.

For information on the discussions taking place in New England on Integrating Markets and Public Policy (IMAPP), visit the New England Power Pool (NEPOOL) website. IMAPP discussions, launched by NEPOOL in August 2016, are intended to identify potential changes to the region’s wholesale electricity markets to accommodate the public policy goals of the New England states, namely their carbon reduction and renewable energy goals.      

 

CONNECTICUT LEGISLATIVE UPDATE:

Information about the Energy and Technology Committee, including committee meetings and public hearings, is available at: https://www.cga.ct.gov/et/

On Tuesday, March 7, 2017 at 11:00 AM in Room 2E of the LOB, the Energy and Technology Committee will hold a public hearing.  The agenda is available at: https://www.cga.ct.gov/2017/etdata/pha/2017PHA00307-R001100ET-PHA.htm

The following raised bills may be of interest to our membership:

  • S.B. No. 860 (RAISED) AN ACT CONCERNING CONTRACTS FOR ZERO EMISSION RENEWABLE ENERGY CREDITS AND LOW-EMISSION RENEWABLE ENERGY CREDITS. (ET)
  • S.B. No. 861 (RAISED) AN ACT CONCERNING RATEPAYER IMPACT STATEMENTS. (ET)
  • S.B. No. 862 (RAISED) AN ACT CONCERNING THE PUBLIC UTILITIES REGULATORY AUTHORITY’S REVIEW OF CLAIMS ARISING FROM CONTRACTS PREVIOUSLY APPROVED BY THE AUTHORITY. (ET)
  • S.B. No. 863 (RAISED) AN ACT REQUIRING A STUDY OF TRASH-TO-ENERGY FACILITIES AS A COMPONENT OF THE COMPREHENSIVE ENERGY STRATEGY. (ET)
  • S.B. No. 899 (RAISED) AN ACT CONCERNING PUBLIC UTILITIES REGULATORY AUTHORITY ADMINISTRATIVE HEARINGS FOR PURCHASED GAS ADJUSTMENTS, ENERGY ADJUSTMENT CHARGES OR CREDITS AND TRANSMISSION RATES. (ET)
  • S.B. No. 900 (RAISED) AN ACT CONCERNING MINOR REVISIONS TO ELECTRIC SUPPLIER COMPLIANCE REQUIREMENTS REGARDING ENVIRONMENTAL LAWS, RENEWABLE PORTFOLIO STANDARDS AND ADVERTISING AND CONTRACT PROVISIONS AND THE PUBLIC UTILITIES REGULATORY AUTHORITY’S REPORTING OF ELECTRIC RATES. (ET)
  • Raised S.B. 936: AN ACT CONCERNING TECHNICAL AND CONFORMING CHANGES TO THE ENERGY AND TECHNOLOGY STATUTES.  To make technical and conforming changes to the energy and technology statutes.
  • Raised S.B. 973: AN ACT CONCERNING A RESIDENTIAL SUSTAINABLE ENERGY PROGRAM.  To establish a state residential sustainable energy program for the purpose of financing energy improvements.
  • Raised S.B. 974: AN ACT REQUIRING THE STUDY OF ENERGY SOURCES.  To require the chairperson of the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority to conduct a study regarding energy sources.
  • H.B. No. 7104 (RAISED) AN ACT CONCERNING RENEWABLE PORTFOLIO STANDARD COMPLIANCE REQUIREMENTS. (ET)
  • H.B. No. 7105 (RAISED) AN ACT CONCERNING WATER COMPANY RATE ADJUSTMENT MECHANISMS. (ET)
  • H.B. No. 7106 (RAISED) AN ACT CONCERNING AUDIT REPORTS FILED WITH THE PUBLIC UTILITIES REGULATORY AUTHORITY. (ET)
  • H.B. No. 7107 (RAISED) AN ACT CONCERNING THE INVESTMENT AND USE OF REGIONAL GREENHOUSE GAS ACCOUNT FUNDS. (ET)
  • H.B. No. 7140 (RAISED) AN ACT REQUIRING A STUDY OF CLASS I RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES THAT SUPPORT THE STATE’S COMPREHENSIVE MATERIALS MANAGEMENT STRATEGY. (ET)
  • Raised H.B. 7208: AN ACT CONCERNING THE COMMERCIAL PROPERTY ASSESSED CLEAN ENERGY PROGRAM.  To make changes to the commercial property assessed clean energy program.
  • H.B. No. 7232 (RAISED) AN ACT REQUIRING THE STUDY OF THE USE OF TECHNOLOGY IN THE STATE. (ET)

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