General Assembly Committee Bill No. 6304
January Session, 2017 LCO No. 5357
*_____HB06304APP___051517____*
Referred to Committee on ENERGY AND TECHNOLOGY
Introduced by:
(ET)
General Assembly
Committee Bill No. 6304
January Session, 2017
LCO No. 5357
*_____HB06304APP___051517____*
Referred to Committee on ENERGY AND TECHNOLOGY
Introduced by:
(ET)
AN ACT REQUIRING A STUDY OF THE VIABILITY OF NEW DISTRICT HEATING NETWORKS IN THE STATE.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened:
Section 1. (NEW) (Effective July 1, 2017) (a) The Commissioner of the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection shall conduct a study regarding the viability of new district heating networks in the state.
(b) The study conducted pursuant to subsection (a) of this section shall include, but not be limited to, recommendations for financing new district heating networks in the state.
(c) Not later than July 1, 2018, the Commissioner of the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, in accordance with section 11-4a of the general statutes, shall report the results of the study conducted pursuant to subsection (a) of this section to the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to energy and technology.
Sec. 2. Subsection (a) of section 16a-3d of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2017):
(a) On or before October 1, 2016, and every three years thereafter, the Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection shall prepare a Comprehensive Energy Strategy. Said strategy shall reflect the legislative findings and policy stated in section 16a-35k and shall incorporate (1) an assessment and plan for all energy needs in the state, including, but not limited to, electricity, heating, cooling, and transportation, (2) the findings of the Integrated Resources Plan, (3) the findings of the plan for energy efficiency adopted pursuant to section 16-245m, (4) the findings of the plan for renewable energy adopted pursuant to section 16-245n, and (5) the Energy Assurance Plan developed for the state of Connecticut pursuant to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, P.L. 111-5, or any successor Energy Assurance Plan developed within a reasonable time prior to the preparation of any Comprehensive Energy Strategy. Said strategy shall further include, but not be limited to, (A) an assessment of current energy supplies, demand and costs, (B) identification and evaluation of the factors likely to affect future energy supplies, demand and costs, (C) a statement of progress made toward achieving the goals and milestones set in the preceding Comprehensive Energy Strategy, (D) a statement of energy policies and long-range energy planning objectives and strategies appropriate to achieve, among other things, a sound economy, the least-cost mix of energy supply sources and measures that reduce demand for energy, giving due regard to such factors as consumer price impacts, security and diversity of fuel supplies and energy generating methods, protection of public health and safety, environmental goals and standards, conservation of energy and energy resources and the ability of the state to compete economically, (E) recommendations for administrative and legislative actions to implement such policies, objectives and strategies, (F) an assessment of the potential costs savings and benefits to ratepayers, including, but not limited to, carbon dioxide emissions reductions or voluntary joint ventures to repower some or all of the state's coal-fired and oil-fired generation facilities built before 1990, [and] (G) the benefits, costs, obstacles and solutions related to the expansion and use and availability of natural gas in Connecticut, and (H) beginning with the strategy to be prepared on or before October 1, 2019, and strategies prepared thereafter, a study of the viability of new district heating networks in the state including, but not limited to, recommendations for financing such district heating networks. If the department finds that [such] expansion of the use of natural gas is in the public interest, it shall develop a plan to increase the use and availability of natural gas.
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following sections:
Section 1 July 1, 2017 New section
Sec. 2 October 1, 2017 16a-3d(a)
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following sections:
Section 1
July 1, 2017
New section
Sec. 2
October 1, 2017
16a-3d(a)
ET Joint Favorable
APP Joint Favorable
ET
Joint Favorable
APP
Joint Favorable