Energy and Technology Committee to hold hearing February 21 on bills related to SCEF and NRES statute, expanding definition of Class I RPS resources to nuclear, hydro and waste to energy, Offshore wind fishing compensation, Siting Council hearing requests, and electric supplier surety bonds

The Connecticut Energy and Technology Committee (E&T) has posted the agenda for a public hearing the Committee will hold on February 21, beginning at noon, in Room 1B of the Legislative Office Building. The Meeting will also take place over Zoom, and be streamed on the E&T Youtube Page.

The E&T Committee will take testimony on the following bills related to renewable energy:

• SB 997 An Act Concerning Revisions To The Clean Energy Statutes
  • This bill, if enacted, would make a number of changes to the enabling stature for the Shared Clean Energy Facilities (SCEF) and Non-Residential Renewable Energy Solutions (NRES) programs, including:
    • Explicitly permit the electric distribution companies (EDCs) to conduct more than one solicitation per year, and to do so either jointly or individually
    • Remove the requirement that SCEF offtakers be in the same utility service territory as the project
    • Reduce the ceiling on the amount of SCEF generation allocated to commercial customers from 50% to 40%
    • Define a moderate income customer as between 60% and 100% of state median income (currently set at area median income).
    • Specify that the SCEF and NRES capacity increase enacted last session applies from January 1, 2023 onwards (current law specified Year 2 through 6 of the program).
    • Remove the requirement that program capacity be allocated based upon EDC share of state load.
    • Exempt state, municipal, and agricultural (SAM) customers from the requirement that generation must be located on the customer’s premises.
• SB 123 An Act Concerning The Public Utilities Regulatory Authority, The Regulation Of Electric Rates And State Public Policy Concerning Electricity Generation
  • This bill, if enacted, would:
    • Remove prescriptive language describing how PURA must determine the decoupling mechanism, but provide guidance that PURA must consider “whether the decoupling mechanism and methodology is in the best interest of ratepayers, and (2) whether the decoupling mechanism and methodology will reduce service outages.”
    • Limit settlement agreements, including that any settlement agreement’s term must not exceed the length of the underlying rate plan when the settlement is adopted.
    • Require PURA to initiate a proceeding to redesign electric bills to show which charges fall into the following categories, “(A) Supply; (B) distribution; (C) transmission; and (D) public policy.”
    • Define hydropower, nuclear energy, and trash-to-energy as Class I renewable resources, eliminate Class II as a category, and increase the Class I requirement by the current Class II requirement of 4%.
    • Require that Renewable Portfolio Standard noncompliance funds must be rebated to customers (not transferred to the Clean Energy Fund).
    • Increase the percent of Class I RPS requirements that can be met with hydropower from 5% to 15%.
    • Create a task force to study the EDC standard service procurement policies and procedures.
• Proposed H.B. 5286 An Act Concerning Hearings On Waiver Requests Before The Connecticut Siting Council
  • This bill, if enacted, would require a Siting Council hearing on requests for a waiver of Siting Council rules or prior orders.
• Proposed H.B. 5626 An Act Requiring Electric Suppliers To Obtain Surety Bonds
  • This bill, if enacted, would require that third-party electric suppliers:
    • Obtain a $500,000 surety bond to operate in the state.
    • Obtain an additional $500,000 surety bond if they plan to conduct door-to-door marketing.
• Proposed H.B. 5223 An Act Requiring Offshore Wind Developers To Establish A Compensation Fund.
  • This bill would require offshore wind developers with Connecticut contracts to establish a fund to:
    • Compensate for any damage to the marine environment or fisheries.
    • Provide compensation if the developer creates fewer jobs than promised in any agreement with the state or electric distribution company.

Stakeholders can register to speak here, and submit written testimony here.