Connecticut 2023 Regular Session

Connecticut House Bill HB06851 Compare Versions

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Version 2 (New)

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	5	+	General Assembly Substitute Bill No. 6851
	6	+	January Session, 2023
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4		-	Substitute House Bill No. 6851
5		-
6		-	Public Act No. 23-156
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9		-	AN ACT IMPLEMENTING RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE
10		-	~~HYDROGEN~~ TASK FORCE.
	12	+	AN ACT IMPLEMENTING RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE HYDROGEN
	13	+	TASK FORCE.
11	14		Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
12	15		Assembly convened:
13	16
14		-	Section 1. (NEW) (Effective July 1, 2023) On or before December 31,
15		-	2024, the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection shall
16		-	develop and approve a hydrogen strategic plan. The hydrogen strategic
17		-	plan shall include recommendations for policies, programs and
18		-	regulations to grow the state's hydrogen economy, consistent with the
19		-	greenhouse gas reduction goals established in section 22a-200a of the
20		-	general statutes, the Integrated Resources Plan approved pursuant to
21		-	section 16a-3a of the general statutes and the Comprehensive Energy
22		-	Strategy prepared pursuant to section 16a-3d of the general statutes. The
23		-	strategic plan shall (1) encourage the use of hydrogen produced from
24		-	renewable energy, (2) prioritize the application of hydrogen produced
25		-	from renewable energy to aviation, maritime shipping, ferry
26		-	transportation, heavy-duty trucking and high-temperature industrial
27		-	processes, and (3) describe the current and projected cost differences
28		-	between powering such sectors and processes with hydrogen produced
29		-	from renewable energy compared to powering such sectors and
30		-	processes with fossil fuels.
31		-	Sec. 2. Subsection (a) of section 31-53d of the general statutes is Substitute House Bill No. 6851
	17	+	Section 1. (NEW) (Effective July 1, 2023) (a) On or before December 1
	18	+	31, 2024, the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection shall 2
	19	+	develop and approve a hydrogen strategic plan. The hydrogen 3
	20	+	strategic plan shall include recommendations for policies, programs 4
	21	+	and regulations to grow the state's hydrogen economy, consistent with 5
	22	+	the greenhouse gas reduction goals established in section 22a-200a of 6
	23	+	the general statutes, the Integrated Resources Plan approved pursuant 7
	24	+	to section 16a-3a of the general statutes and the Comprehensive 8
	25	+	Energy Strategy prepared pursuant to section 16a-3d of the general 9
	26	+	statutes. The strategic plan shall (1) encourage the use of hydrogen 10
	27	+	produced from renewable energy, (2) prioritize the application of 11
	28	+	hydrogen produced from renewable energy to aviation, maritime 12
	29	+	shipping, ferry transportation, heavy-duty trucking and high-13
	30	+	temperature industrial processes, and (3) describe the current and 14
	31	+	projected cost differences between powering such sectors and 15
	32	+	processes with hydrogen produced from renewable energy compared 16
	33	+	to powering such sectors and processes with fossil fuels. 17
	34	+	(b) Not later than December 31, 2024, the Department of Energy and 18
	35	+	Environmental Protection shall adopt regulations, in accordance with 19 Substitute Bill No. 6851
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33		-	Public Act No. 23-156 2 of 3
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35		-	repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1,
36		-	2023):
37		-	(a) As used in this section, unless the context otherwise requires:
38		-	(1) "Covered project" means a renewable energy project [that is
39		-	situated on land in this state, commences construction on or after July 1,
40		-	2021, and has] with a total nameplate capacity of two megawatts or
41		-	more that is situated on land in the state, or, on and after January 1, 2025,
42		-	a hydrogen project. "Covered project" does not include (A) any
43		-	renewable energy project (i) selected in a competitive solicitation
44		-	conducted by (I) the Department of Energy and Environmental
45		-	Protection, or (II) an electric distribution company, as defined in section
46		-	16-1, and (ii) approved by the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority
47		-	prior to January 1, 2022, [or] (B) any renewable energy project under
48		-	contract with another entity and approved by the relevant regulatory
49		-	authority, as applicable, prior to January 1, 2022, or (C) any renewable
50		-	energy project that commenced construction before July 1, 2021;
51		-	(2) "Renewable energy project" means a Class I renewable energy
52		-	source, as defined in section 16-1. "Renewable energy project" does not
53		-	include any offshore wind facility procured pursuant to section 16a-3h,
54		-	16a-3m or 16a-3n;
55		-	(3) "Hydrogen project" means any project that produces, processes,
56		-	transports, stores or uses hydrogen;
57		-	[(3)] (4) "Community benefits agreement" means an agreement
58		-	between (A) the developer of a covered project, and (B) community-
59		-	based organizations or a coalition of such organizations, that details the
60		-	project's contributions to the community in which it is or will be sited
61		-	and the aspects of the project that will mitigate adverse conditions of
62		-	such community and create opportunities for local businesses,
63		-	communities and workers; Substitute House Bill No. 6851
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	42	+	the provisions of chapter 54 of the general statutes, defining "clean 20
	43	+	hydrogen" for purposes of section 31-53d of the general statutes, as 21
	44	+	amended by this act. 22
	45	+	Sec. 2. Subsection (a) of section 31-53d of the general statutes is 23
	46	+	repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 24
	47	+	1, 2023): 25
	48	+	(a) As used in this section, unless the context otherwise requires: 26
	49	+	(1) "Covered project" means a renewable energy project [that is 27
	50	+	situated on land in this state, commences construction on or after July 28
	51	+	1, 2021, and has] with a total nameplate capacity of two megawatts or 29
	52	+	more that is situated on land in the state, or, on and after January 1, 30
	53	+	2025, a clean hydrogen project. "Covered project" does not include (A) 31
	54	+	any renewable energy project (i) selected in a competitive solicitation 32
	55	+	conducted by (I) the Department of Energy and Environmental 33
	56	+	Protection, or (II) an electric distribution company, as defined in 34
	57	+	section 16-1, and (ii) approved by the Public Utilities Regulatory 35
	58	+	Authority prior to January 1, 2022, [or] (B) any renewable energy 36
	59	+	project under contract with another entity and approved by the 37
	60	+	relevant regulatory authority, as applicable, prior to January 1, 2022, or 38
	61	+	(C) any renewable energy project that commenced construction before 39
	62	+	July 1, 2021; 40
	63	+	(2) "Renewable energy project" means a Class I renewable energy 41
	64	+	source, as defined in section 16-1. "Renewable energy project" does not 42
	65	+	include any offshore wind facility procured pursuant to section 16a-3h, 43
	66	+	16a-3m or 16a-3n; 44
	67	+	(3) "Clean hydrogen project" means any project that produces, 45
	68	+	processes, transports, stores or uses clean hydrogen, as defined in 46
	69	+	regulations adopted by the Department of Energy and Environmental 47
	70	+	Protection pursuant to section 1 of this act; 48
	71	+	[(3)] (4) "Community benefits agreement" means an agreement 49
	72	+	between (A) the developer of a covered project, and (B) community-50 Substitute Bill No. 6851
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67		-	[(4)] (5) "Labor organization" means any organization, other than a
68		-	company union, that exists for the purpose, in whole or in part, of
69		-	collective bargaining or of dealing with employers concerning
70		-	grievances, terms or conditions of employment, or of other mutual aid
71		-	or protection, including, but not limited to, (A) bona fide labor
72		-	organizations that are certified or recognized as the organization of
73		-	jurisdiction representing the workers involved, (B) bona fide building
74		-	and construction trades councils or district councils, and (C) state and
75		-	local labor federations comprised of local unions certified or recognized
76		-	as the representative of the workers; and
77		-	[(5)] (6) "Workforce development program" means a program
78		-	pursuant to which newly hired employees and existing employees are
79		-	given the opportunity to develop skills that will enable such employees
80		-	to qualify for higher paying jobs on a covered project. A workforce
81		-	development program includes: (A) Apprenticeship training through
82		-	an apprenticeship program registered with the Labor Department or a
83		-	federally recognized state apprenticeship agency that complies with the
84		-	requirements under 29 CFR 29 and 29 CFR 30, as each may be amended
85		-	from time to time, and (B) preapprenticeship training that will enable
86		-	students to qualify for registered apprenticeship training.
87		-	Sec. 3. (NEW) (Effective from passage) The Commissioner of Energy
88		-	and Environmental Protection shall, in consultation with the Governor,
89		-	the Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management and the
90		-	Commissioner of Economic and Community Development, seek
91		-	opportunities for federal funding of projects or activities that advance
92		-	hydrogen in the state. The Commissioner of Economic and Community
93		-	Development shall identify the state's share of the projects or activities
94		-	required to meet the matching requirements of the federal acts making
95		-	the funds available to the state.
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	79	+	based organizations or a coalition of such organizations, that details 51
	80	+	the project's contributions to the community in which it is or will be 52
	81	+	sited and the aspects of the project that will mitigate adverse 53
	82	+	conditions of such community and create opportunities for local 54
	83	+	businesses, communities and workers; 55
	84	+	[(4)] (5) "Labor organization" means any organization, other than a 56
	85	+	company union, that exists for the purpose, in whole or in part, of 57
	86	+	collective bargaining or of dealing with employers concerning 58
	87	+	grievances, terms or conditions of employment, or of other mutual aid 59
	88	+	or protection, including, but not limited to, (A) bona fide labor 60
	89	+	organizations that are certified or recognized as the organization of 61
	90	+	jurisdiction representing the workers involved, (B) bona fide building 62
	91	+	and construction trades councils or district councils, and (C) state and 63
	92	+	local labor federations comprised of local unions certified or 64
	93	+	recognized as the representative of the workers; and 65
	94	+	[(5)] (6) "Workforce development program" means a program 66
	95	+	pursuant to which newly hired employees and existing employees are 67
	96	+	given the opportunity to develop skills that will enable such 68
	97	+	employees to qualify for higher paying jobs on a covered project. A 69
	98	+	workforce development program includes: (A) Apprenticeship 70
	99	+	training through an apprenticeship program registered with the Labor 71
	100	+	Department or a federally recognized state apprenticeship agency that 72
	101	+	complies with the requirements under 29 CFR 29 and 29 CFR 30, as 73
	102	+	each may be amended from time to time, and (B) preapprenticeship 74
	103	+	training that will enable students to qualify for registered 75
	104	+	apprenticeship training. 76
	105	+	Sec. 3. (NEW) (Effective from passage) The Commissioner of Energy 77
	106	+	and Environmental Protection shall, in consultation with the Governor, 78
	107	+	the Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management and the 79
	108	+	Commissioner of Economic and Community Development, seek 80
	109	+	opportunities for federal funding of projects or activities that advance 81
	110	+	clean hydrogen in the state. The Commissioner of Economic and 82
	111	+	Community Development shall identify the state's share of the projects 83 Substitute Bill No. 6851
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	118	+	or activities required to meet the matching requirements of the federal 84
	119	+	acts making the funds available to the state. The Commissioner of 85
	120	+	Economic and Community Development is authorized to transfer 86
	121	+	funds appropriated to the Department of Economic and Community 87
	122	+	Development and the Commissioner of Energy and Environmental 88
	123	+	Protection is authorized to accept such funds for the purpose of 89
	124	+	funding the state's share identified pursuant to this section. 90
	125	+	This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
	126	+	sections:
	127	+
	128	+	Section 1 July 1, 2023 New section
	129	+	Sec. 2 July 1, 2023 31-53d(a)
	130	+	Sec. 3 from passage New section
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	132	+	ET Joint Favorable Subst.
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