General Assembly Raised Bill No. 936
January Session, 2017 LCO No. 4423
*_____SB00936ET____031717____*
Referred to Committee on ENERGY AND TECHNOLOGY
Introduced by:
(ET)
General Assembly
Raised Bill No. 936
January Session, 2017
LCO No. 4423
*_____SB00936ET____031717____*
Referred to Committee on ENERGY AND TECHNOLOGY
Introduced by:
(ET)
AN ACT CONCERNING TECHNICAL AND CONFORMING CHANGES TO THE ENERGY AND TECHNOLOGY STATUTES.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened:
Section 1. Subsection (a) of section 3-22p of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2017):
(a) Notwithstanding any provision of the general statutes, no moneys invested in the Connecticut Higher Education Trust shall be considered to be an asset for purposes of determining an individual's eligibility for assistance under the temporary family assistance program, as described in section 17b-112, programs funded under the federal Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program block grant, and the federally appropriated weatherization assistance program. [, as described in section 16a-41i.]
Sec. 2. Subsection (a) of section 16-18a of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2017):
(a) In the performance of their duties the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority and the Office of Consumer Counsel may retain consultants to assist their staffs in proceedings before the authority by providing expertise in areas in which staff expertise does not currently exist or when necessary to supplement existing staff expertise. In any case where the authority or Office of Consumer Counsel determines that the services of a consultant are necessary or desirable, the authority shall (1) allow opportunity for the parties and participants to the proceeding for which the services of a consultant are being considered to comment regarding the necessity or desirability of such services, (2) upon the request of a party or participant to the proceeding for which the services of a consultant are being considered, hold a hearing, and (3) limit the reasonable and proper expenses for such services to not more than two hundred thousand dollars for each agency per proceeding involving a public service company, telecommunications company, electric supplier or person seeking certification to provide telecommunications services pursuant to chapter 283, with more than fifteen thousand customers, and to not more than fifty thousand dollars for each agency per proceeding involving such a company, electric supplier or person with less than fifteen thousand customers, provided the authority or the Office of Consumer Counsel may exceed such limits for good cause. In the case of multiple proceedings conducted to implement the provisions of this section and sections 16-1, 16-19, 16-19e, 16-22, 16-247a to 16-247c, inclusive, 16-247e to 16-247h, inclusive, 16-247k and subsection (e) of section 16-331, the authority or the Office of Consumer Counsel may exceed such limits, but the total amount for all such proceedings shall not exceed the aggregate amount which would be available pursuant to this section. All reasonable and proper expenses, as defined in subdivision (3) of this section, shall be borne by the affected company, electric supplier or person and shall be paid by such company, electric supplier or person at such times and in such manner as the authority or the Office of Consumer Counsel directs. All reasonable and proper costs and expenses, as defined in subdivision (3) of this section, shall be recognized by the authority for all purposes as proper business expenses of the affected company, electric supplier or person. The providers of consultant services shall be selected by the authority or the Office of Consumer Counsel and shall submit written findings and recommendations to the authority or the Office of Consumer Counsel, as the case may be, which shall be made part of the public record.
Sec. 3. Subdivision (4) of section 16-19eee of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2017):
(4) "Hybrid electric vehicle" means a motor vehicle that allows power to be delivered to the driver wheels solely by a battery-powered electric motor that also incorporates the use of a combustion engine to provide power to the battery, or any vehicle that has both a combustion engine and a battery-powered electric motor and allows power to be delivered to the driver wheels by either [a] such combustion engine or by [a] such battery-powered electric motor, or both;
Sec. 4. Subsection (c) of section 16-245ff of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2017):
(c) The Connecticut Green Bank shall offer direct financial incentives, in the form of performance-based incentives or expected performance-based buydowns, for the purchase or lease of qualifying residential solar photovoltaic systems or power purchase [agreement] agreements from such systems until the earlier of the following: (1) December 31, 2022, or (2) the deployment of three hundred megawatts, in the aggregate, of residential solar photovoltaic installation. The bank shall consider willingness to pay studies and verified solar photovoltaic system characteristics, such as operational efficiency, size, location, shading and orientation, when determining the type and amount of incentive. Notwithstanding the provisions of subdivision (1) of subsection (h) of section 16-244c, the amount of renewable energy produced from Class I renewable energy sources receiving tariff payments or included in utility rates under this section shall be applied to reduce the electric distribution company's Class I renewable energy source portfolio standard until the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority approves the master purchase agreement pursuant to subsection (e) of section 16-245gg.
Sec. 5. Subsection (h) of section 16-247f of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2017):
(h) On and after July 1, 2016, any certified telecommunications provider or telephone company may, upon written notice to the authority, elect to be exempt from any requirement to file or maintain with the authority any tariff for services offered or provided to business retail end users. A certified telecommunications provider or telephone company that elects to be exempt from the requirement to file or maintain with the authority any tariff for services offered or provided to business retail end users shall make the rates, terms and conditions for such services available to business retail end users in a clear and conspicuous manner, that is apparent to the reasonable business retail end user, [either] (1) in a customer service guide, (2) on such certified telecommunications provider's or telephone company's Internet web site, or (3) in a contract between such business retail end user and such certified telecommunications provider or telephone company.
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following sections:
Section 1 October 1, 2017 3-22p(a)
Sec. 2 October 1, 2017 16-18a(a)
Sec. 3 October 1, 2017 16-19eee(4)
Sec. 4 October 1, 2017 16-245ff(c)
Sec. 5 October 1, 2017 16-247f(h)
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following sections:
Section 1
October 1, 2017
3-22p(a)
Sec. 2
October 1, 2017
16-18a(a)
Sec. 3
October 1, 2017
16-19eee(4)
Sec. 4
October 1, 2017
16-245ff(c)
Sec. 5
October 1, 2017
16-247f(h)
ET Joint Favorable
ET
Joint Favorable