The Connecticut Power and Energy Society is pleased to announce a new series of energy policy updates featuring regulatory, legislative and industry developments in Connecticut, New England and the U.S. The policy updates are compiled by a team recently formed with support from CPES, known as the New Energy Professionals.
Policy Committee
Last year, CPES formed a Policy Committee to develop additional programming and provide timely information on policy developments in the state of Connecticut and New England wide. In August of last year, the Policy Committee hosted its first meeting to discuss energy legislation and policymaking following the 2015 legislative session. The Committee heard from representatives of the Energy & Technology Committee, the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. In February, the Policy Committee arranged for Congresswoman Elizabeth Esty to deliver a federal energy policy update at the CPES monthly dinner meeting.
New Energy Professionals
This year, CPES formed the New Energy Professionals Committee to welcome members who are new to the energy industry and provide opportunities for new energy professionals to learn, grow, and connect with others in the field. As a service to the Policy Committee, the New Energy Professionals Committee will be gathering timely information on policy developments in Connecticut and the New England region and posting it about weekly to the CPES website.
Feedback
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 Paul Brady, CPES Executive Director, via email: pbrady@ctpower.org.
Connecticut Regulatory Update: Public Utilities Regulatory Authority
The Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA) has approved Eversource Energy’s proposed FERC filing seeking recovery for NSTAR merger-related transaction and integration costs. The PURA decision is available at: http://www.dpuc.state.ct.us/dockcurr.nsf/8e6fc37a54110e3e852576190052b64d/1c21d70c67b49dc485257f61005ff2d9?OpenDocument.
Connecticut Legislative Update: Energy & Technology Committee
Information about the Energy and Technology Committee, including committee meetings and public hearings, is available at: https://www.cga.ct.gov/et/. The committee has scheduled a public hearing for March 1, 2016, the agenda for which is available at: https://www.cga.ct.gov/2016/etdata/pha/2016PHA00301-R001300ET-PHA.htm
The following raised bills may be of interest to our membership:
- S.B. No. 103 (RAISED) ENERGY AND TECHNOLOGY . ‘AN ACT CONCERNING THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE PROCUREMENT MANAGER OF THE PUBLIC UTILITIES REGULATORY AUTHORITY AND MINOR REVISIONS TO ENERGY-RELATED STATUTES’, to transfer the responsibilities of the PURA procurement manager to other employees of the agency and make other minor revisions to energy-related statutes.
REF. ENERGY AND TECHNOLOGY - S.B. No. 168 (RAISED) ENERGY AND TECHNOLOGY . ‘AN ACT CONCERNING TRASH-TO-ENERGY FACILITIES’, to require the chairperson of the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority to conduct a study pertaining to trash-to-energy facilities.
REF. ENERGY AND TECHNOLOGY
- S.B. No. 224 (RAISED) ENERGY AND TECHNOLOGY . ‘AN ACT CONCERNING THE CAPACITY AND CRITERIA FOR CERTAIN RENEWABLE ENERGY GENERATION FACILITIES’, to allow submission of proposals for Class I renewable energy generation facilities with an increased potential size for such facilities.
REF. ENERGY AND TECHNOLOGY - S.B. No. 272 (RAISED) ENERGY AND TECHNOLOGY . ‘AN ACT CONCERNING THE USE OF MICROGRID GRANTS AND LOANS FOR CERTAIN DISTRIBUTED ENERGY GENERATION’, to allow the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection to provide microgrid grants and loans for additional types of costs associated with such microgrids.
REF. ENERGY AND TECHNOLOGY - H.B. No. 5241 (RAISED) ENERGY AND TECHNOLOGY . ‘AN ACT CONCERNING THE PRIORITY OF THE BENEFIT ASSESSMENTS LIEN UNDER THE GREEN BANK’S COMMERCIAL SUSTAINABLE ENERGY PROGRAM’, to provide municipal tax liens and assessments priority over benefit assessments liens created under the Green Bank’s commercial sustainable energy program.
REF. ENERGY AND TECHNOLOGY - H.B. No. 5242 (RAISED) ENERGY AND TECHNOLOGY . ‘AN ACT CONCERNING AGRICULTURAL VIRTUAL NET METERING’, to allow agricultural customers to lease or enter into long-term contracts for an agricultural virtual net metering facility.
REF. ENERGY AND TECHNOLOGY - H.B. No. 5309 (RAISED) ENERGY AND TECHNOLOGY . ‘AN ACT CONCERNING FACILITATION OF THE MUNICIPAL RESIDENTIAL SOLAR APPLICATION PROCESS’, to require the Green Bank to approve a standardized solar photovoltaic system permit application form for use by municipalities.
REF. ENERGY AND TECHNOLOGY - H.B. No. 5310 (RAISED) ENERGY AND TECHNOLOGY . ‘AN ACT CONCERNING LOCATION OF SITING COUNCIL PUBLIC HEARINGS’, to require the Connecticut Siting Council to hold a public hearing in the municipality in which a proposed facility is to be located if the proposed facility will be located only in that municipality.
REF. ENERGY AND TECHNOLOGY - H.B. No. 5427 (RAISED) ENERGY AND TECHNOLOGY . ‘AN ACT CONCERNING THE SHARED CLEAN ENERGY FACILITY PILOT PROGRAM’, to make changes to the shared clean energy facility pilot program regarding utilities’ cost recovery, tariff mechanisms, and other technical changes.
REF. ENERGY AND TECHNOLOGY
Regional and Industry Developments
ISO New England Files Finalized Auction Results with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
On February 29, 2016, ISO New England filed the results of the tenth Forward Capacity Auction (FCA #10) with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) for review and approval. The auction was held on February 8, 2016 to procure the capacity resources needed to meet electricity demand in New England during the 2019–2020 timeframe. Finalized results confirm that the auction concluded at a lower price than the previous auction (FCA #9) and with sufficient resources, including three new power plants, to meet demand in 2019–2020. The filing is available on the ISO’s website at: http://www.iso-ne.com/static-assets/documents/2016/02/er16-___-000_2-29-16_fca_10_results_filing.pdf.
A press release discussing the finalized results of FCA #10 is available at: http://www.iso-ne.com/static-assets/documents/2016/02/20160229_fca10_finalresults.pdf.
US Wind Energy Tops New Electric Capacity in 2015
In 2015, new wind resources accounted for 35% of all new generating capacity in the US, according to CleanTechnica, highlighting a report by the Business Council for Sustainable Energy and Bloomberg New Energy and Finance.
http://cleantechnica.com/2016/02/17/us-wind-energy-tops-new-electric-capacity-2015/
(NH) Eversource Applies to Buy, Sell Gas from Expanded Pipeline
New Hampshire’s largest electric utility is seeking permission to buy and sell natural gas from a proposed pipeline expansion. The Concord Monitor reports Eversource filed a request with the Public Utilities Commission that would allow it to buy natural gas from the Access Northeast pipeline expansion for two decades. The pipeline expansion would be built by the Hartford, Connecticut-based utility and two other firms through Connecticut and eastern Massachusetts.
http://nhpr.org/post/eversource-applies-buy-sell-gas-expanded-pipeline