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General Assembly Committee Bill No. 468
January Session, 2019
LCO No. 5948
Referred to Committee on ENERGY AND TECHNOLOGY
Introduced by:
(ET)
AN ACT CONCERNING TH E INSTALLATION OF CLASS I
RENEWABLE ENERGY SOU RCES ON STATE LAND N EAR PUBLIC
HIGHWAYS.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:
Section 1. (NEW) (Effective from passage) (a) As used in this section, 1
"Class I renewable energy source" has the same meaning as provided 2
in section 16-1 of the general statutes. 3
(b) On or before January 1, 2020, the Commissioners of Energy and 4
Environmental Protection and Transportation, in consultation with the 5
Commissioner of Administrative Services, shall: 6
(1) Develop an inventory of all land owned by the state in proximity 7
to public highways that such commissioners determine is suitable for 8
the siting and installation of Class I renewable energy sources that are 9
derived from solar power, provided such inventory may also indicate 10
any such land the commissioners determine is suitable for the siting 11
and installation of Class I renewable energy sources that are not 12
derived from solar power. In developing such inventory, the 13
commissioners shall consider related practices, standards and 14 Committee Bill No. 468
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inventories or surveys developed in other states. 15
(2) Establish a setback distance from roadways that provides for 16
motorist safety for Class I renewable energy sources that are derived 17
from solar power, provided if the inventory developed pursuant to 18
subdivision (1) of this subsection includes any land the commissioners 19
determine is suitable for the siting and installation of Class I renewable 20
energy sources that are not derived from solar power, the 21
commissioners shall establish a setback distance from roadways that 22
provides for motorist safety for such Class I renewable energy sources 23
that are not derived from solar power. 24
(3) Develop standards and procedures for the siting of Class I 25
renewable energy sources that are derived from solar power on lands 26
owned by the state in proximity to public highways, provided if the 27
inventory developed pursuant to subdivision (1) of this subsection 28
includes any land the commissioners determine is suitable for the 29
siting and installation of Class I renewable energy sources that are not 30
derived from solar power, the commissioners shall develop standards 31
and procedures for the siting of such Class I renewable energy sources 32
that are not derived from solar power. 33
(4) Develop and implement a plan to simultaneously (A) provide 34
any necessary financing to ensure the installation of Class I renewable 35
energy sources on land owned by the state in proximity to public 36
highways, and (B) maximize revenues to the state related to such 37
installation. Such plan shall indicate which financing model or models 38
the state will pursue to ensure the installation of Class I renewable 39
energy sources with a nameplate capacity rating of ten megawatts, in 40
the aggregate, on land owned by the state in proximity to public 41
highways each year for a total of ten years. In developing and 42
implementing such plan, the commissioners shall consider options that 43
include, but are not limited to, (i) the leasing of land owned by the 44
state in proximity to public highways to persons for the purpose of 45
installing and operating Class I renewable energy sources, and (ii) the 46
direct state ownership of Class I renewable energy sources installed on 47 Committee Bill No. 468
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land owned by the state in proximity to public highways. 48
(c) After January 1, 2020, the commissioners may, at their discretion, 49
from time to time revise or update the inventory developed pursuant 50
to subdivision (1) of subsection (b) of this section. 51
(d) On or before January 1, 2020, and once every two years 52
thereafter, the commissioners shall report, in accordance with the 53
provisions of section 11-4a of the general statutes, the status of each of 54
the items in subsection (b) of this section to the joint standing 55
committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters 56
relating to energy and transportation. 57
(e) On or before January 1, 2020, the Commissioners of Energy and 58
Environmental Protection and Transportation shall each adopt 59
regulations, in accordance with chapter 54 of the general statutes, to 60
implement the provisions of subsection (b) of this section. 61
(f) On or before January 1, 2020, and annually thereafter for a total 62
of ten years, the Commissioner of Energy and Environmental 63
Protection shall issue a request for proposals pursuant to the financing 64
model or models indicated in the plan developed pursuant to 65
subdivision (4) of subsection (b) of this section. Such request for 66
proposals shall be in accordance with subsection (b) of this section and 67
any regulations adopted pursuant to subsection (e) of this section. 68
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
sections:
Section 1 from passage New section
ET Joint Favorable