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General Assembly Substitute Bill No. 6397
January Session, 2023
AN ACT CONCERNING ZERO -CARBON EMISSIONS.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:
Section 1. (NEW) (Effective from passage) (a) The state of Connecticut 1
hereby declares a climate emergency to increase access to federal funds 2
and demonstrate the urgency for enacting meaningful climate 3
legislation. Such emergency threatens the resilience and, in some cases, 4
the existence of communities in this state, including multiple aspects of 5
the state's environment, economy and the quality of life for younger 6
generations of state residents. Accordingly, the state declares climate 7
change as a public health and environmental justice emergency and 8
recognizes the urgency to significantly and rapidly increase 9
community coping capacities to handle the impacts of climate 10
extremes and climate refugees. The state recognizes the need and 11
urgency to mitigate climate impacts and prepare for and manage 12
disaster risk from climate extremes. Such declaration shall not 13
authorize the Governor to utilize the provisions of this subsection to 14
operate the government of the state through executive order. 15
(b) The state, acting through the Governor and other state-wide 16
elected officials, shall increase federal funding requests for climate-17
related actions related to such climate emergency. The state shall seek 18
federal funds to achieve state-wide affordable zero-carbon electricity 19
generation, including solar, wind, geothermal and battery storage 20 Substitute Bill No. 6397
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installation, community climate resilience and environmental justice 21
opportunities and training for clean energy sector jobs and fossil fuel-22
to-clean-energy business transitions. 23
(c) The declaration of a climate emergency by the state pursuant to 24
subsection (a) of this section shall serve to invoke the National 25
Emergencies Act for the declaration of a national climate emergency by 26
the President of the United States. 27
(d) Not later than July 1, 2025, the Commissioner of Energy and 28
Environmental Protection shall, within available appropriations, 29
produce a comprehensive Connecticut Decarbonization Roadmap to 30
achieve emissions reduction targets specified in section 22a-200a of the 31
general statutes. 32
(e) The Department of Economic and Community Development 33
shall collaborate with economic development agencie s in 34
municipalities in the state to secure funding for local businesses to 35
access renewable energy supplies and consume decreased levels of 36
fossil fuels. 37
(f) The Department of Energy and Environmental Protection shall 38
engage in efforts to gain federal funds to develop programs for local 39
communities throughout the state, including, but not limited to, 40
underserved communities, that mitigate the impacts from climate 41
change, fossil fuel use, waste disposal incineration, landfills and other 42
municipal functions that historically impact underserved communities 43
in a disproportionate manner. 44
(g) The Department of Energy and Environmental Protection and 45
the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority shall develop strategies for 46
energy infrastructure development that are focused on renewable 47
energy systems, including, but not limited to, battery storage and 48
working with northeastern states and regional independent system 49
operators to implement such strategies. 50
(h) The Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection 51 Substitute Bill No. 6397
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shall establish the Citizens Oversight Working Group to: (1) Provide 52
the public with oversight of the state's adherence to the Global 53
Warming Solutions Act, (2) ensure relevant timelines and deadlines of 54
such act are met by the state and assist in developing tangible actions 55
to meet the requirement of a forty-five per cent reduction in 56
greenhouse gas emissions below 2001 levels by 2030, and eighty per 57
cent below 2001 levels by 2050, (3) meet the goals of the Connecticut 58
Integrated Resources Plan of 2021 to commit to a fully zero-carbon 59
electric sector by 2040, and (4) ensure the state complies with all 60
executive orders concerning climate change. 61
(i) The Departments of Energy and Environmental Protection and 62
Administrative Services shall assist residents of the state and 63
municipalities to obtain federal funding to install renewable energy, 64
zero-carbon emissions clean all-electric energy systems in all newly 65
constructed commercial and residential buildings. Such efforts shall 66
include, but need not be limited to, behind-the-meter grid-adapted 67
solar and wind systems and battery storage systems. Such 68
departments shall work with energy supply companies to develop 69
equitable cost-favorable clean energy solutions for retail end users. 70
(j) The Department of Economic and Community Development and 71
the Office of Workforce Strategy shall work with all industries in the 72
state impacted by the transition away from the use of fossil fuels and 73
develop job retraining plans for such industries not later than October 74
1, 2023. 75
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
sections:
Section 1 from passage New section
ENV Joint Favorable Subst.