General Assembly Raised Bill No. 5139
February Session, 2014 LCO No. 870
*00870_______PD_*
Referred to Committee on PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT
Introduced by:
(PD)
General Assembly
Raised Bill No. 5139
February Session, 2014
LCO No. 870
*00870_______PD_*
Referred to Committee on PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT
Introduced by:
(PD)
AN ACT CONCERNING THE USE OF STATE FUNDS FOR THE INSTALLATION OF SOLAR PANELS ON PRIME FARMLAND.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened:
Section 1. Subsection (c) of section 16-245n of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2014):
(c) There is hereby created a Clean Energy Fund which shall be within the Clean Energy Finance and Investment Authority. The fund may receive any amount required by law to be deposited into the fund and may receive any federal funds as may become available to the state for clean energy investments. Upon authorization of the Clean Energy Finance and Investment Authority established pursuant to subsection (d) of this section, any amount in said fund may be used for expenditures that promote investment in clean energy in accordance with a comprehensive plan developed by it to foster the growth, development and commercialization of clean energy sources, related enterprises and stimulate demand for clean energy and deployment of clean energy sources that serve end use customers in this state and for the further purpose of supporting operational demonstration projects for advanced technologies that reduce energy use from traditional sources, except that no such expenditures may be made on any photovoltaic energy system that is to be installed on prime farmland, as defined by the United States Department of Agriculture. Such expenditures may include, but not be limited to, providing low-cost financing and credit enhancement mechanisms for clean energy projects and technologies, reimbursement of the operating expenses, including administrative expenses incurred by the Clean Energy Finance and Investment Authority and Connecticut Innovations, Incorporated, and capital costs incurred by the Clean Energy Finance and Investment Authority in connection with the operation of the fund, the implementation of the plan developed pursuant to subsection (d) of this section or the other permitted activities of the Clean Energy Finance and Investment Authority, disbursements from the fund to develop and carry out the plan developed pursuant to subsection (d) of this section, grants, direct or equity investments, contracts or other actions which support research, development, manufacture, commercialization, deployment and installation of clean energy technologies, and actions which expand the expertise of individuals, businesses and lending institutions with regard to clean energy technologies.
Sec. 2. Subsection (b) of section 16-245aa of the 2014 supplement to the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2014):
(b) The Clean Energy Finance and Investment Authority, in consultation with the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, the Department of Economic and Community Development and the State Treasurer, shall establish a renewable energy and efficient energy finance program. Said authority shall make grants, investments, loans or other forms of financial assistance under said program to projects for the purchase and installation of (1) renewable energy sources, including solar energy, geothermal energy, thermal energy storage, electric storage and fuel cells or other energy-efficient hydrogen-fueled energy, or (2) energy-efficient generation sources, including units providing combined heat-and-power operations with greater than sixty-five per cent efficiency or such higher efficiency level as said authority may prescribe, except that the authority shall not make any form of financial assistance available for the purchase or installation of a photovoltaic energy system that is to be installed on prime farmland, as defined by the United States Department of Agriculture. Said authority may make grants under said program of up to two and one-half per cent of the balance in the account to support workforce development initiatives in connection with deployment of the projects. Said authority shall give priority to applications for grants, investments, loans or other forms of financial assistance to projects that use major system components manufactured or assembled in Connecticut. Each grant, investment, loan or other form of financial assistance shall be in an amount that makes the cost of purchasing, installing and operating the renewable energy or energy-efficient generation source competitive with the grid's or other end users' current electricity expenses.
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following sections:
Section 1 October 1, 2014 16-245n(c)
Sec. 2 October 1, 2014 16-245aa(b)
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following sections:
Section 1
October 1, 2014
16-245n(c)
Sec. 2
October 1, 2014
16-245aa(b)
Statement of Purpose:
To discourage the installation of solar panels on prime farmland.
[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline, except that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not underlined.]