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General Assembly Raised Bill No. 5004
February Session, 2024
LCO No. 2340
Referred to Committee on ENVIRONMENT
Introduced by:
(ENV)
AN ACT CONCERNING THE IMPLEMENTATION OF CERTAIN
CLIMATE CHANGE MEASURES.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:
Section 1. (NEW) (Effective from passage) The state hereby declares a 1
climate crisis to demonstrate the urgency for enacting meaningful 2
climate legislation and to support increased efforts to secure federal 3
funds to respond to such crisis. Such crisis threatens the resilience of 4
communities in the state, regardless of zip code, multiple aspects of the 5
state's natural resources and infrastructure assets, the state's economy 6
and the quality of life for younger generations of state residents. 7
Accordingly, the state recognizes the urgency to significantly and 8
rapidly decrease greenhouse gas emissions and increase community 9
coping capacities to handle the impacts of climate change. The state 10
recognizes the need and urgency to mitigate climate impacts and 11
prepare for and manage disaster risk from climate change. Such 12
declaration shall not authorize the Governor to utilize the provisions of 13
this section to operate the government of the state through executive 14
order. 15 Raised Bill No. 5004
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Sec. 2. (NEW) (Effective from passage) (a) Each state agency shall have 16
the following greenhouse gas emissions reduction goals: (1) A forty-five 17
per cent reduction from 2001 levels by 2030; (2) a seventy per cent 18
reduction from 2016 levels by 2040; and (3) achieving a level determined 19
to be net-zero by 2050. For purposes of this subsection, "net-zero" has 20
the same meaning as provided in section 22a-200 of the general statutes, 21
as amended by this act. 22
(b) Each state agency shall have the goal of only utilizing zero-carbon 23
generating electricity by 2030. 24
Sec. 3. Section 22a-200 of the general statutes is repealed and the 25
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from passage): 26
As used in sections 22a-200 to 22a-200b, inclusive, as amended by this 27
act, 22a-200d and 4a-67h: 28
(1) "Direct emissions" means emissions from sources that are owned 29
or operated, in whole or in part, by an entity or facility, including, but 30
not limited to, emissions from factory stacks, manufacturing processes 31
and vents, and company owned or leased motor vehicles; 32
(2) "Entity" means a person, as defined in section 22a-2, that owns or 33
operates, in whole or in part, a source of greenhouse gas emissions from 34
a generator of electricity or a commercial or industrial site, which source 35
may include, but not be limited to, a transportation fleet; 36
(3) "Facility" means a building, structure or installation located on any 37
one or more contiguous or adjacent properties of an entity; 38
(4) "Greenhouse gas" means any chemical or physical substance that 39
is emitted into the air and that the Commissioner of Energy and 40
Environmental Protection may reasonably anticipate will cause or 41
contribute to climate change, including, but not limited to, carbon 42
dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons 43
and sulfur hexafluoride; 44
(5) "Indirect emissions" means emissions associated with the 45 Raised Bill No. 5004
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consumption of purchased electricity, steam and heating or cooling by 46
an entity or facility; 47
(6) "Carbon sequestration" means the removal of greenhouse gases 48
from the atmosphere through nature-based solutions such as soils, 49
forests, wetlands or working or natural lands and through technological 50
solutions that have the primary purpose of removing greenhouse gases 51
from the atmosphere; 52
(7) "Net-zero" means a level of greenhouse gas reduction marked by 53
the complete offset of any greenhouse gases emitted by any greenhouse 54
gas emission reduction and carbon sequestration. 55
Sec. 4. Section 22a-200a of the general statutes is repealed and the 56
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from passage): 57
(a) The state shall reduce the level of emissions of greenhouse gas: 58
(1) Not later than January 1, 2020, to a level at least ten per cent below 59
the level emitted in 1990; 60
(2) Not later than January 1, 2030, to a level at least forty-five per cent 61
below the level emitted in 2001; 62
(3) Not later than January 1, 2040, to a level at least sixty-five per cent 63
below the level emitted in 2001, including to a level of zero per cent from 64
electricity supplied to electric customers in the state; 65
(4) Not later than January 1, 2050, to [a] an economy-wide net-zero 66
level, taking into account carbon sequestration, provided direct and 67
indirect emissions of greenhouse gases are at least eighty per cent below 68
the level emitted in 2001; and 69
(5) All of the levels referenced in this subsection shall be determined 70
by the Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection. 71
(b) On or before January 1, 2010, and biannually thereafter, the state 72
agencies that are members of the Governor's Steering Committee on 73 Raised Bill No. 5004
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Climate Change shall submit a report to the Secretary of the Office of 74
Policy and Management and the Commissioner of Energy and 75
Environmental Protection. The report shall identify existing and 76
proposed activities and improvements to the facilities of such agencies 77
that are designed to meet state agency energy savings goals established 78
by the Governor. The report shall also identify policies and regulations 79
that could be adopted in the near future by such agencies to reduce 80
greenhouse gas emissions in accordance with subsection (a) of this 81
section. 82
(c) (1) Not later than January 1, 2012, and every three years thereafter, 83
the Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection shall, in 84
consultation with the Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management 85
and the Governor's Steering Committee on Climate Change, report, in 86
accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a, to the joint standing 87
committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters 88
relating to the environment, energy and transportation on the 89
quantifiable emissions reductions achieved pursuant to subsection (a) 90
of this section. The report shall include a schedule of proposed 91
regulations, policies and strategies, including, but not limited to, carbon 92
sequestration, designed to achieve the limits of greenhouse gas 93
emissions imposed by said subsection, an assessment of the latest 94
scientific information and relevant data regarding global climate change 95
and the status of greenhouse gas emission reduction efforts in other 96
states and countries. 97
(2) The Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection shall 98
enter into an agreement with a consultant for the preparation of a report 99
to be submitted not later than January 1, 2026, to the joint standing 100
committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters 101
relating to the environment and energy. Such report shall: (A) Contain 102
strategies for achieving the greenhouse gas emissions reductions 103
required in subsection (a) of this section, (B) indicate whether a strategy 104
to achieve such limits should include sector specific emission reduction 105
targets and, if so, in what manner and order of priority such sector 106
specific targets should be implemented, and (C) evaluate the adequacy 107 Raised Bill No. 5004
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of the standards contained in section 16-245a. No recommendation 108
contained in such report shall be implemented without the approval of 109
each chamber of the General Assembly. 110
(d) At least one year prior to the effective date of any federally 111
mandated greenhouse cap and trade program including greenhouse gas 112
emissions subject to any state cap and trade requirements adopted 113
pursuant to this section, the Commissioner of Energy and 114
Environmental Protection and the Secretary of the Office of Policy and 115
Management shall report, in accordance with the provisions of section 116
11-4a, to the joint standing committees of the General Assembly having 117
cognizance of matters relating to the environment, energy and 118
technology and transportation. Such report shall explain the differences 119
between such federal and state requirements and shall identify any 120
further regulatory or legislative actions needed to achieve consistency 121
with such federal program. 122
(e) The failure to comply with the provisions of subsection (a) of this 123
section shall constitute contributing to the unreasonable pollution or 124
impairment of the public trust in the air, water or other natural resources 125
of the state pursuant to section 22a-16. 126
Sec. 5. Subsection (a) of section 22a-200b of the general statutes is 127
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from 128
passage): 129
(a) The Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection shall, 130
with the advice and assistance of a nonprofit association organized to 131
provide scientific, technical, analytical and policy support to the air 132
quality and climate programs of northeastern states: (1) Not later than 133
December 1, 2009, publish an inventory of greenhouse gas emissions to 134
establish a baseline for such emissions for the state and publish a 135
summary of greenhouse gas emission reduction strategies on the 136
Department of Energy and Environmental Protection's Internet web 137
site, (2) not later than July 1, 2010, publish results of various modeling 138
scenarios concerning greenhouse gas emissions, including, but not 139 Raised Bill No. 5004
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limited to, an evaluation of the potential economic and environmental 140
benefits and opportunities for economic growth based on such 141
scenarios, (3) not later than July 1, 2011, analyze greenhouse gas 142
emission reduction strategies and, after an opportunity for public 143
comment, make recommendations on which such strategies will achieve 144
the greenhouse gas emission levels specified in section 22a-200a, as 145
amended by this act, and (4) not later than July 1, 2012, and every three 146
years thereafter, develop, with an opportunity for public comment, a 147
schedule of recommended regulatory actions by relevant agencies, 148
policies and other actions necessary to [show] make reasonable further 149
progress towards achieving the greenhouse gas emission levels 150
specified in section 22a-200a, as amended by this act, to attain the levels 151
specified in said section by the relevant date provided. Such regulatory 152
actions may include carbon sequestration. 153
Sec. 6. (NEW) (Effective from passage) The Public Utilities Regulatory 154
Authority shall initiate a docket to determine how the state can phase 155
out natural gas use in accordance with the goals of the Global Warming 156
Solutions Act. Not later than January 1, 2026, the authority shall submit 157
a report identifying any recommendations concerning legislative 158
changes necessary to implement such goal to the joint standing 159
committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters 160
relating to the environment and energy, in accordance with the 161
provisions of section 11-4a of the general statutes. 162
Sec. 7. (NEW) (Effective from passage) Notwithstanding any provision 163
of the general statutes, each state agency when considering any 164
transportation infrastructure in the state or energy generation planning 165
for the state and issuing any permit, license or administrative approval 166
or decision for such infrastructure or energy generation, including, but 167
not limited to, the execution of grants, loans and contracts, shall 168
consider whether such decisions are inconsistent with or will interfere 169
with the attainment of the state-wide greenhouse gas emissions limits 170
established in section 22a-200a of the general statutes, as amended by 171
this act. If the issuance of any such permit, license or administrative 172
approval or decision is determined to be inconsistent with such 173 Raised Bill No. 5004
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greenhouse gas emissions limits or may interfere with the achievement 174
of such emissions limits, such state agency shall provide a detailed 175
statement of the reasons why such emissions limits may not be achieved 176
and identify greenhouse gas mitigation measures that could be 177
implemented in connection with the issuance of such permit, license or 178
administrative approval or decision. 179
Sec. 8. (NEW) (Effective from passage) Not later than October 1, 2025, 180
the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection shall publish 181
on its Internet web site consolidated information on the cost and sources 182
of electricity in the state and electric vehicle power source information 183
as well as electric vehicle service and supply equipment. Such 184
consolidated information shall additionally include, but not be limited 185
to, information concerning Class I renewable energy deployments in the 186
state, other distributed energy resources in the state, energy storage 187
deployment in the state, the state's electricity and natural gas 188
consumption, heating fuel consumption for the state by type of fuel, 189
information on energy efficiency program participation, federal 190
weatherization program participation information and information on 191
efficiency barrier remediation program participation. 192
Sec. 9. Subdivision (3) of subsection (c) of section 32-7t of the 2024 193
supplement to the general statutes is repealed and the following is 194
substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2024): 195
(3) The commissioner, upon consideration of an application and any 196
additional information, may approve an application in whole or in part 197
or may approve an application with amendments, provided the 198
commissioner shall give preference to applications that: (A) Make 199
significant investments in environmentally sustainable practices, 200
including, but not limited to, zero-carbon energy and energy efficiency, 201
(B) are in sectors of the economy such as renewable energy, energy 202
efficiency and zero-emission vehicles, or (C) are for farming operations 203
that are sustainable from a climate perspective. If the commissioner 204
disapproves an application, the commissioner shall identify the defects 205
in such application and explain the specific reasons for the disapproval. 206 Raised Bill No. 5004
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The commissioner shall render a decision on an application not later 207
than ninety days after the date of its receipt by the commissioner. 208
Sec. 10. (NEW) (Effective from passage) The Commissioner of Revenue 209
Services, in collaboration with the Commissioner of Economic and 210
Community Development, shall identify business fees that are 211
appropriate for waiver for certified B corporations and farms that are 212
environmentally sustainable. Not later than January 1, 2025, the 213
Commissioner of Revenue Services shall submit a list of such fees to the 214
joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of 215
matters relating to the environment. 216
Sec. 11. (NEW) (Effective from passage) (a) There is established a 217
Connecticut Clean Economy Council that shall advise on strategies and 218
policies to strengthen the state's climate mitigation, clean energy, 219
resilience and sustainability programs for the purpose of lowering 220
emissions and advancing the state of economic and environmental 221
justice for residents of the state. 222
(b) Such council shall meet not less than quarterly, at dates, times and 223
locations to be established by the cochairpersons of such council. The 224
council shall: (1) Identify opportunities to leverage state and federal 225
funding to scale economic opportunities associated with clean energy, 226
climate and sustainability investments and maximize local economic 227
development benefits from investments needed to meet the climate and 228
sustainability goals of the state, (2) ensure the state's workforce is 229
trained to deliver climate and sustainability solutions and support 230
equitable and diverse participation in climate and sustainability 231
economic development opportunities from both diverse employers and 232
diverse job seekers, (3) work with the Office of Workforce Strategy to 233
increase workforce training in the clean energy sector with a goal of 234
creating opportunities for populations that are underrepresented in the 235
workforce such as residents of environmental justice communities, as 236
defined in section 22a-20a of the general statutes, women, minorities 237
and formerly incarcerated persons, (4) develop a plan for transitioning 238
workers from fossil-fuel-based employment to clean economy jobs. 239 Raised Bill No. 5004
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Such plan shall be submitted, not later than December 1, 2025, to the 240
joint standing committees of the General Assembly having cognizance 241
of matters relating to the environment, energy and commerce, in 242
accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a of the general statutes, 243
and (5) be consulted by the Governor and the Commissioner of 244
Economic and Community Development on any state-wide economic 245
action plan. The council may form working groups to address workforce 246
development in specific sectors within the fields of clean energy and 247
sustainability. 248
(c) Such council shall be comprised of the following members: (1) The 249
Commissioner of Economic and Community Development, or the 250
commissioner's designee, who shall also serve as cochairperson of the 251
council, (2) the Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection, 252
or the commissioner's designee, who shall also serve as cochairperson 253
of the council, (3) the Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management, 254
or the secretary's designee, (4) the Commissioner of Transportation, or 255
the commissioner's designee, (5) the Commissioner of the Office of 256
Workforce Strategy, or the commissioner's designee, (6) a representative 257
from the office of the Governor, (7) the chief executive officer of the 258
Connecticut Green Bank, or the chief executive officer's designee, (8) the 259
chief executive officer of Connecticut Innovations, Incorporated, or the 260
chief executive officer's designee; and (9) any other member so 261
designated by the cochairpersons. Any member appointed pursuant to 262
subdivision (9) of this subsection shall serve at the pleasure of the 263
cochairpersons of the council. 264
(d) A majority of the members of the council shall constitute a 265
quorum. 266
(e) Not later than June 1, 2025, and annually thereafter, the council 267
shall report on its work, findings and recommendations to the 268
Governor, the Office of Policy and Management and the joint standing 269
committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters 270
relating to the environment, energy and commerce, in accordance with 271
section 11-4a of the general statutes. 272 Raised Bill No. 5004
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Sec. 12. (NEW) (Effective from passage) The Commissioners of Energy 273
and Environmental Protection, Administrative Services and Economic 274
and Community Development shall establish a pilot program to serve 275
as a new business incubator for zero-carbon startup companies. Priority 276
under such program shall be given to startup companies that help 277
reduce plastic waste through the development of alternative packaging 278
methods, the implementation of a plastics coding system that assists in 279
making the recycling of plastics understandable to consumers or the 280
development of nature-based plastic alternatives. Such pilot program 281
shall utilize a state-owned facility that constitutes surplus state property 282
that no state agency seeks to utilize and shall include entrepreneurial 283
tenant benefits, including, but not limited to, rent-free workspaces for a 284
period of not more than three years. Not later than February 1, 2026, said 285
commissioners shall submit a report on the status of such pilot program, 286
in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a of the general statutes, 287
to the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having 288
cognizance of matters relating to the environment. 289
Sec. 13. Subsection (c) of section 16-244z of the 2024 supplement to 290
the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu 291
thereof (Effective July 1, 2024): 292
(c) (1) (A) [The aggregate total megawatts available to all customers 293
utilizing a procurement and tariff offered by electric distribution 294
companies pursuant to subsection (a) of this section shall be up to 295
eighty-five megawatts in year one and increase by up to an additional 296
one hundred sixty megawatts per year on and after January 1, 2023, 297
provided the] The total megawatts available to customers eligible under 298
subparagraph (A) of subdivision (2) of subsection (a) of this section shall 299
not exceed ten megawatts per year, the total megawatts available to 300
customers eligible under subparagraph (B) of subdivision (2) of 301
subsection (a) of this section shall not exceed one hundred megawatts 302
per year and the total megawatts available to customers eligible under 303
subparagraph (C) of subdivision (2) of subsection (a) of this section shall 304
not exceed fifty megawatts per year. The authority shall monitor the 305
competitiveness of any procurements authorized pursuant to 306 Raised Bill No. 5004
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subsection (a) of this section and may adjust the annual purchase 307
amount established in this subsection or other procurement parameters 308
to maintain competitiveness. Any megawatts not allocated in any given 309
year shall roll into the next year's available megawatts. The obligation 310
to purchase energy and renewable energy certificates shall be 311
apportioned as determined by the authority. Notwithstanding any 312
provision of this subparagraph, each procurement and tariff program 313
authorized pursuant to subsection (a) of this section may exceed the 314
limits on available megawatts described in this subparagraph, from 315
January 1, 2025, until the date that federal funding available under the 316
Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, P.L. 117-169 to finance or provide tax 317
incentives for projects within such program is exhausted. 318
(B) The electric distribution companies shall offer any tariffs 319
developed pursuant to subsection (b) of this section for six years. At the 320
end of the tariff term pursuant to subparagraph (B) of subdivision (2) of 321
subsection (b) of this section, residential customers that elected the 322
option pursuant to said subparagraph shall be credited all cents-per-323
kilowatt-hour charges pursuant to the tariff rate for such customer for 324
energy produced by the Class I renewable energy source against any 325
energy that is consumed in real time by such residential customer. 326
(C) The authority shall establish tariffs for the purchase of energy on 327
a cents-per-kilowatt-hour basis at the expiration of any tariff terms 328
authorized pursuant to this section. 329
(2) The department, in consultation with the authority, shall assess 330
the tariff offerings pursuant to this section and determine if such 331
offerings are competitive compared to the cost of the technologies and 332
shall report, in accordance with section 11-4a, the results of such 333
determination to the General Assembly not later than January 15, 2027. 334
(3) For any tariff established pursuant to this section, the authority 335
shall examine how to incorporate the following energy system benefits 336
into the rate established for any such tariff: (A) Energy storage systems 337
that provide electric distribution benefits, (B) location of a facility on the 338 Raised Bill No. 5004
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distribution system, (C) time-of-use rates or other dynamic pricing, and 339
(D) other energy policy benefits identified in the Comprehensive Energy 340
Strategy prepared pursuant to section 16a-3d. 341
Sec. 14. (Effective July 1, 2024) The Public Utilities Regulatory 342
Authority shall expand the energy storage program established by the 343
authority in Docket No. 17-12-03RE03. The authority shall: (1) Increase 344
the cumulative storage deployment target for such program to one 345
thousand megawatts; and (2) increase the size of incentives under the 346
program if it concludes that such increase is reasonable, prudent and 347
provides value to ratepayers. 348
Sec. 15. Section 10-285a of the 2024 supplement to the general statutes 349
is amended by adding subsection (l) as follows (Effective July 1, 2024): 350
(NEW) (l) The percentage determined pursuant to this section for a 351
school building project grant, including, but not limited to, any 352
renovation, for the installation of a renewable energy or energy 353
efficiency project, shall be increased by ten percentage points. 354
Sec. 16. (NEW) (Effective October 1, 2024) Not later than January 1, 355
2025, the Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection, in 356
accordance with section 11-4a of the general statutes, shall submit a 357
report to the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having 358
cognizance of matters relating to the environment on recommendations 359
for amendments to section 16a-48 of the general statutes to provide for 360
the sale and installation in the state of heating, ventilation and air 361
conditioning systems and hot water heating systems that do not emit 362
greenhouse gases. Such recommendations shall include, but not be 363
limited to, suggested implementation dates for any such requirement 364
and proposed consumer education efforts to inform the public about 365
such systems. 366
Sec. 17. (NEW) (Effective October 1, 2024) The Commissioner of Energy 367
and Environmental Protection, in conjunction with the Public Utilities 368
Regulatory Authority and the Connecticut Green Bank, shall develop 369
and implement a plan for the installation of not less than three hundred 370 Raised Bill No. 5004
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ten thousand heat pumps for residential heating systems in the state, 371
including, but not limited to, through any program established 372
pursuant to section 8-240a, 16a-40b, 16a-40l or 16a-46m of the general 373
statutes. Not later than January 1, 2026, the commissioner shall submit 374
a report, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a of the general 375
statutes, to the joint standing committees of the General Assembly 376
having cognizance of matters relating to the environment and energy on 377
the status of such plan in reaching such goal and any attendant 378
recommendations for expanding or revising such plan. 379
Sec. 18. Subsection (g) of section 8-23 of the general statutes is 380
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from 381
passage): 382
(g) (1) Any municipal plan of conservation and development 383
scheduled for adoption on or after July 1, 2015, shall identify the general 384
location and extent of any [(1)] (A) areas served by existing sewerage 385
systems, [(2)] (B) areas where sewerage systems are planned, and [(3)] 386
(C) areas where sewers are to be avoided. In identifying such areas, the 387
commission shall consider the provisions of this section and the priority 388
funding area provisions of chapter 297a. 389
(2) Any municipal plan of conservation and development scheduled 390
for adoption on or after July 1, 2024, shall evaluate environmental 391
sustainability and climate resiliency for such municipality. 392
Sec. 19. (NEW) (Effective from passage) Not later than October 1, 2024, 393
the Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management shall develop a 394
model policy for environmentally sustainable purchasing that 395
municipalities may voluntarily utilize and implement. 396
Sec. 20. Subsection (e) of section 7-536 of the 2024 supplement to the 397
general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu 398
thereof (Effective July 1, 2024): 399
(e) (1) Each municipality may apply to the secretary for project 400
authorization and expense reimbursement of local capital improvement 401 Raised Bill No. 5004
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projects. 402
(2) Notwithstanding the deadlines imposed by this section, each 403
municipality that has expended funds in the fiscal year ending June 30, 404
2013, on projects listed in subparagraphs (T) to (X), inclusive, of 405
subdivision (4) of subsection (a) of this section may apply to the 406
secretary for reimbursement of such expenses. 407
(3) (A) Notwithstanding the provisions of subdivision (2) of 408
subsection (f) of this section, the secretary, at the secretary's discretion, 409
may authorize expense reimbursement for a project listed in 410
subparagraphs (T) to (Y), inclusive, of subdivision (4) of subsection (a) 411
of this section prior to such project's inclusion on the local capital 412
improvement plan adopted by a municipality. The secretary may 413
require certification from the municipality that such municipality is 414
taking steps to amend its local capital improvement plan to include such 415
project. 416
(B) (i) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (c) of this section, 417
for the period commencing July 1, 2023, and ending June 30, 2025, the 418
secretary shall additionally authorize expense reimbursement for any 419
project listed in subparagraph (Y) of subdivision (4) of subsection (a) of 420
this section from funds appropriated to the Office of Policy and 421
Management for such projects. 422
(ii) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (c) of this section, 423
for the period commencing July 1, 2024, and ending June 30, 2025, the 424
secretary shall additionally authorize expense reimbursement for any 425
municipality that implements the Office of Policy and Management's 426
model policy for environmentally sustainable purchasing from funds 427
appropriated to the Office of Policy and Management for such purpose. 428
Sec. 21. (NEW) (Effective from passage) Notwithstanding title 4b of the 429
general statutes, any new or existing state building shall either be 430
constructed utilizing electrical systems that are not reliant upon fossil 431
fuels or greenhouse gas emissions for operation or, upon renovation, 432
retrofitted to utilize such electrical systems provided funding is 433 Raised Bill No. 5004
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available for such purpose. 434
Sec. 22. (NEW) (Effective from passage) (a) The Commissioner of 435
Energy and Environmental Protection shall prepare a report that 436
outlines a proposed plan and program for advancing nature-based 437
solutions in the state that support climate mitigation and adaptation. 438
Such report shall include, but not be limited to, an analysis of the 439
associated funding needs for such plan, an identification of potential 440
federal, state, or other funding sources and a proposed timeline for 441
implementation of such plan, provided such plan shall be implemented 442
not later than July 1, 2025. Not later than December 31, 2024, the 443
commissioner, in accordance with section 11-4a of the general statutes, 444
shall submit such report to the joint standing committee of the General 445
Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to the environment. 446
(b) The nature-based solutions program described in subsection (a) 447
of this section shall include, but not be limited to, the following: (1) 448
Increasing carbon sequestration through increased forest extent, 449
including reforestation, (2) controlling invasive species, (3) growing 450
forests to greater maturity, (4) protecting carbon stocks through the 451
avoided conversion of forests and wetlands to other purposes, (5) 452
restoring coastal habitats, and (6) increasing climate-smart agriculture 453
and soil conservation to reduce greenhouse gas emissions while 454
improving habitat and protecting biodiversity. 455
(c) The nature-based solutions program described in subsection (a) of 456
this section may include, but shall not be limited to, the following: (1) 457
Acquisition of land and conservation easements to provide upslope 458
advancement zones adjacent to tidal marshes, (2) a comprehensive 459
modeling assessment of the extent of inland migration of tidal marshes 460
needed to inform adaptation decisions, (3) the acquisition of land and 461
conservation easements in riparian areas adjacent to cold water streams, 462
(4) the adoption or amendment of regulations, in accordance with 463
chapter 54 of the general statutes, that provide stream flow levels 464
necessary to ensure the resilience and ecological integrity of cold water 465
streams, (5) increasing active management of upland forests to improve 466 Raised Bill No. 5004
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regeneration, diversity and resilience, (6) collaborating with other 467
northeast states and federal agencies to develop a coordinated regional 468
adaptation approach for the conservation of habitats and species at risk, 469
and (7) advancing connectivity among habitats. 470
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
sections:
Section 1 from passage New section
Sec. 2 from passage New section
Sec. 3 from passage 22a-200
Sec. 4 from passage 22a-200a
Sec. 5 from passage 22a-200b(a)
Sec. 6 from passage New section
Sec. 7 from passage New section
Sec. 8 from passage New section
Sec. 9 July 1, 2024 32-7t(c)(3)
Sec. 10 from passage New section
Sec. 11 from passage New section
Sec. 12 from passage New section
Sec. 13 July 1, 2024 16-244z(c)
Sec. 14 July 1, 2024 New section
Sec. 15 July 1, 2024 10-285a(l)
Sec. 16 October 1, 2024 New section
Sec. 17 October 1, 2024 New section
Sec. 18 from passage 8-23(g)
Sec. 19 from passage New section
Sec. 20 July 1, 2024 7-536(e)
Sec. 21 from passage New section
Sec. 22 from passage New section
Statement of Purpose:
To implement certain measures relating to climate change including
advancing and implementing the state's goals for the reduction of
greenhouse gas emissions, the phasing out of the use of natural gas,
investment in renewable energy and green economy startup businesses,
incentivizing sustainable purchasing by local governments and the
enhancement of nature-based solutions to mitigate climate change.
[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline, except
that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not
underlined.] Raised Bill No. 5004
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