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General Assembly Substitute Bill No. 4
January Session, 2025
AN ACT CONCERNING ENERGY AFFORDABILITY, ACCESS AND
ACCOUNTABILITY.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:
Section 1. Section 22a-136 of the general statutes is repealed and the 1
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2025): 2
(a) As used in this section: (1) "Advanced nuclear reactor" has the 3
same meaning as provided in 42 USC 16271, as amended from time to 4
time, and (2) "high level nuclear waste" means those aqueous wastes 5
resulting from the operation of the first cycle of the solvent extraction 6
system or equivalent and the concentrated wastes of the subsequent 7
extraction cycles or equivalent in a facility for reprocessing irradiated 8
reactor fuel and includes spent fuel assemblies prior to fuel 9
reprocessing. 10
(b) No construction shall commence on a [fifth] new nuclear power 11
facility [until the] in the state unless: 12
(1) The Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection finds 13
that the United States Government, through its authorized agency, has 14
identified and approved a demonstrable technology or means for the 15
disposal of high level nuclear waste; [. The provisions of this section 16
shall not apply to construction at any nuclear power generating facility 17 Substitute Bill No. 4
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operating in the state as of October 1, 2022. As used in this section, "high 18
level nuclear waste" means those aqueous wastes resulting from the 19
operation of the first cycle of the solvent extraction system or equivalent 20
and the concentrated wastes of the subsequent extraction cycles or 21
equivalent in a facility for reprocessing irradiated reactor fuel and shall 22
include spent fuel assemblies prior to fuel reprocessing.] 23
(2) The nuclear power facility is proposed to be sited at a nuclear 24
power generating facility operating in the state as of October 1, 2022; or 25
(3) The construction is for an advanced nuclear reactor facility and 26
(A) such facility is sited in a municipality that has consented to such 27
facility's development through the affirmative vote of such 28
municipality's legislative body or a referendum held in such 29
municipality, and (B) any additional municipality within the emergency 30
planning zone, as determined by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, 31
of the proposed facility consents to such facility's development through 32
the affirmative vote of such municipality's legislative body or a 33
referendum held in such municipality. 34
(c) The entity proposing such new nuclear power facility, including 35
advanced nuclear reactors, shall obtain all permits, licenses, permissions 36
or approvals governing the construction, operation and funding of 37
decommissioning of such nuclear power facility as required by: (1) Any 38
applicable federal statutes, including, but not limited to, the Atomic 39
Energy Act of 1954, the Energy Reorganization Act of 1974, the Low-40
Level Radioactive Waste Policy Amendments Act of 1985 and the 41
Energy Policy Act of 1992, as amended from time to time; (2) any 42
regulations promulgated or enforced by the United States Nuclear 43
Regulatory Commission, including, but not limited to, those codified at 44
Title X, Parts 20, 30, 40, 50, 52, 53, 70 and 72 of the Code of Federal 45
Regulations, as amended from time to time; and (3) any other federal or 46
state statute, rule or regulation governing the permitting, licensing, 47
construction, operation or decommissioning of such facility. 48
Sec. 2. (NEW) (Effective July 1, 2025) (a) As used in this section, (1) 49 Substitute Bill No. 4
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"eligible recipient" means (A) a regional governmental entity, 50
municipality, regional council of governments, public authority, state or 51
federally recognized tribe or municipal electric utility or cooperative 52
with a demonstrated interest in hosting advanced nuclear reactors or 53
offshore wind energy facilities, as determined by the Commissioner of 54
Energy and Environmental Protection, (B) a private entity partnering or 55
interested in partnering with said entities for the development of 56
advanced nuclear reactors or offshore wind energy facilities, or (C) an 57
institution of higher education in the state; and (2) "advanced nuclear 58
reactor" has the same meaning as provided in 42 USC 16271, as amended 59
from time to time. 60
(b) The Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection shall 61
establish a competitive advanced nuclear reactor and offshore wind 62
energy site readiness funding program. The commissioner may provide 63
funding through the program in the form of grants or loans to eligible 64
recipients in support of: 65
(1) Environmental and technical studies required for early site 66
permitting for advanced nuclear reactors or offshore wind energy 67
facilities; 68
(2) Local and regional infrastructure assessments to support the 69
development of advanced nuclear reactors or offshore wind energy 70
facilities; 71
(3) Community engagement and planning initiatives related to 72
hosting advanced nuclear reactors or offshore wind energy facilities; 73
and 74
(4) Other necessary expenses identified by the commissioner to 75
advance site readiness for advanced nuclear reactors or offshore wind 76
energy facilities. 77
(c) The commissioner may use bond funds authorized in support of 78
the program or federal funds allocated to the state in support of the 79
program established under this section. In the case of federal funds 80 Substitute Bill No. 4
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allocated for such purposes, the commissioner may revise its advanced 81
nuclear reactor and offshore wind and energy site readiness grant 82
program criteria to be consistent with the requirements of the federal 83
funding program criteria. The commissioner may use said funds to hire 84
a technical consultant to support the implementation of this section. 85
Sec. 3. (NEW) (Effective July 1, 2025) (a) For the purposes described in 86
subsection (b) of this section, the State Bond Commission shall have the 87
power from time to time to authorize the issuance of bonds of the state 88
in one or more series and in principal amounts not exceeding in the 89
aggregate five million dollars. 90
(b) The proceeds of the sale of such bonds shall be used by the 91
Department of Energy and Environmental Protection for the purpose of 92
funding grants or loans through the advanced nuclear reactor and 93
offshore wind energy facility site readiness funding program 94
established pursuant to section 2 of this act. 95
Sec. 4. Subsection (a) of section 16a-102 of the general statutes is 96
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 97
1, 2025): 98
(a) The Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection shall 99
coordinate all atomic development activities in the state. Said 100
commissioner or [his] the commissioner's designee shall (1) advise the 101
Governor with respect to atomic industrial development within the 102
state; (2) act as coordinator of the development and regulatory activities 103
of the state relating to the industrial and commercial uses of atomic 104
energy; (3) act as the Governor's designee in matters relating to atomic 105
energy, including participation in the activities of any committee 106
formed by the New England states to represent their interests in such 107
matters and also cooperation with other states and with the government 108
of the United States; (4) coordinate the studies, recommendations and 109
proposals of the several departments and agencies of the state required 110
by section 16a-103 with each other and also with the programs and 111
activities of the development commission; and (5) act as a point of 112 Substitute Bill No. 4
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contact for public and private stakeholders to assist in compliance with 113
federal, state and local requirements relevant to atomic development, 114
including, but not limited to, siting considerations and permitting 115
requirements. The commissioner shall consult with and review 116
regulations and procedures of the agencies of the state with respect to 117
the regulation of sources of radiation to assure consistency and to 118
prevent unnecessary duplication, inconsistencies or gaps in regulatory 119
requirements. 120
Sec. 5. Section 16a-3j of the general statutes is repealed and the 121
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2025): 122
(a) In order to secure cost-effective resources to provide more reliable 123
electric or gas service for the benefit of the state's electric ratepayers and 124
to meet the state's energy and environmental goals and policies 125
established in the Integrated Resources Plan, pursuant to section 16a-3a, 126
and the Comprehensive Energy Strategy, pursuant to section 16a-3d, the 127
Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection, in consultation 128
with the procurement manager identified in subsection (l) of section 16-129
2, the Office of Consumer Counsel and the Attorney General, may, in 130
coordination with other states in the control area of the regional 131
independent system operator, as defined in section 16-1, or on behalf of 132
[Connecticut] the state alone, issue multiple solicitations for long-term 133
contracts from providers of resources described in subsections (b), (c) 134
and (d) of this section. 135
(b) In any solicitation for resources to reduce electric or gas demand 136
and improve resiliency and electric or gas grid reliability in the state, 137
issued pursuant to this subsection, the commissioner shall seek 138
proposals for (1) passive demand response measures, including, but not 139
limited to, energy efficiency, load management, and the state's 140
conservation and load management programs, pursuant to section 16-141
245m; [, that are capable, either singly or through aggregation, of 142
reducing electric demand by one megawatt or more;] and (2) Class I 143
renewable energy sources and Class III sources, as defined in section 16-144
1, provided any such project proposal is for a facility that has a 145 Substitute Bill No. 4
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nameplate capacity rating of more than two megawatts and less than 146
twenty megawatts. The commissioner may also seek proposals for 147
energy storage systems, as defined in section 16-1, that are capable of 148
storing up to twenty megawatts of energy. Proposals pursuant to this 149
subsection shall not have a contract term exceeding twenty years. Each 150
electric distribution company, as defined in section 16-1, and gas 151
company, as defined in section 16-1, shall, in consultation with the 152
Energy Conservation Management Board established pursuant to 153
section 16-245m, assess whether the submission of a proposal for 154
passive and active demand response measures is feasible pursuant to 155
any solicitation issued pursuant to subdivision (1) of this subsection, 156
provided such proposal only includes electric or gas demand reductions 157
that are in addition to existing and projected demand reductions 158
obtained through the conservation and load management programs. 159
(c) In any solicitation issued pursuant to this subsection, the 160
commissioner shall seek proposals from (1) Class I renewable energy 161
sources, as defined in section 16-1, having a nameplate capacity rating 162
of twenty megawatts or more, and any associated transmission; and (2) 163
verifiable large-scale hydropower, as defined in section 16-1, and any 164
associated transmission. The commissioner may also seek proposals for 165
energy storage systems, as defined in section 16-1, having a nameplate 166
capacity rating of twenty megawatts or more. Proposals under this 167
subsection shall not have a contract term exceeding twenty years. In 168
soliciting Class I renewable energy sources, and any associated 169
transmission, pursuant to this subsection, the commissioner may, for the 170
purpose of balancing such Class I energy deliveries and improving the 171
economic viability of such proposals, also seek proposals for electricity 172
and capacity from Class II renewable energy sources, as defined in 173
section 16-1, and existing hydropower resources other than those 174
described under section 16-1, provided such resources are 175
interconnected to such associated transmission and are located in the 176
control area of the regional independent system operator or imported 177
into the control area of the regional independent system operator from 178
resources located in an adjacent regional independent system operator's 179 Substitute Bill No. 4
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control area. 180
(d) In any solicitation for natural gas resources issued pursuant to this 181
subsection, the commissioner shall seek proposals for (1) interstate 182
natural gas transportation capacity, (2) liquefied natural gas, (3) 183
liquefied natural gas storage, and (4) natural gas storage, or a 184
combination of any such resources, provided such proposals provide 185
incremental capacity, gas, or storage that has a firm delivery capability 186
to transport natural gas to natural gas-fired generating facilities located 187
in the control area of the regional independent system operator. 188
Proposals under this subsection shall not have a contract term exceeding 189
a period of twenty years. 190
(e) The Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection, in 191
consultation with the procurement manager identified in subsection (l) 192
of section 16-2, the Office of Consumer Counsel and the Attorney 193
General, shall evaluate project proposals received under any solicitation 194
issued pursuant to subsection (b), (c) or (d) of this section, based on 195
factors including, but not limited to, (1) improvements to the reliability 196
of the electric system, including during winter peak demand; (2) 197
whether the benefits of the proposal outweigh the costs to ratepayers; 198
(3) fuel diversity; (4) the extent to which the proposal contributes to 199
meeting the requirements to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and 200
improve air quality in accordance with sections 16-245a, 22a-174 [,] and 201
22a-200a; (5) whether the proposal is in the best interest of ratepayers; 202
and (6) whether the proposal is aligned with the policy goals outlined 203
in the Integrated Resources Plan, pursuant to section 16a-3a, and the 204
Comprehensive Energy Strategy, pursuant to section 16a-3d, including, 205
but not limited to, environmental impacts. In conducting such 206
evaluation, the commissioner may also consider the extent to which 207
project proposals provide economic benefits for the state. In evaluating 208
project proposals received under any solicitation issued pursuant to 209
subsection (b), (c) or (d) of this section, the commissioner shall compare 210
the costs and benefits of such proposals relative to the expected or actual 211
costs and benefits of other resources eligible to respond to the other 212
procurements authorized pursuant to this section. 213 Substitute Bill No. 4
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(f) The commissioner may hire consultants with expertise in 214
quantitative modeling of electric and gas markets, and physical gas and 215
electric system modeling, as applicable, to assist in implementing this 216
section, including, but not limited to, the evaluation of proposals 217
submitted pursuant to this section. All reasonable costs, not exceeding 218
one million five hundred thousand dollars, associated with the 219
commissioner's solicitation and review of proposals pursuant to this 220
section shall be recoverable through the nonbypassable federally 221
mandated congestion charge, as defined in subsection (a) of section 16-222
1. Such costs shall be recoverable even if the commissioner does not 223
select any proposals pursuant to solicitations issued pursuant to this 224
section. 225
(g) If the commissioner finds proposals received pursuant to this 226
section to be in the best interest of [electric] ratepayers, in accordance 227
with the provisions of subsection (e) of this section, the commissioner 228
may select any such proposal or proposals, provided the total capacity 229
of the resources selected under all solicitations issued pursuant to this 230
section in the aggregate do not exceed three hundred seventy-five 231
million cubic feet per day of natural gas capacity, or the equivalent 232
megawatts of electricity, electric demand reduction or combination 233
thereof. Any proposals selected pursuant to subsections (b) and (c) of 234
this section shall not, in the aggregate, exceed ten per cent of the load 235
distributed by the state's electric distribution companies or ten per cent 236
of the load distributed by the state's gas companies. The commissioner 237
may, on behalf of all customers of electric distribution companies, direct 238
the electric distribution companies to enter into long-term contracts for 239
active or passive demand response measures that result in electric 240
savings, electricity time-of-use shifts, electricity, electric capacity, 241
environmental attributes, energy storage, interstate natural gas 242
transportation capacity, liquefied natural gas, liquefied natural gas 243
storage [,] and natural gas storage, or any combination thereof, from 244
proposals submitted pursuant to this section, provided the benefits of 245
such contracts to customers of electric distribution companies outweigh 246
the costs to such companies' customers. The commissioner may, on 247 Substitute Bill No. 4
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behalf of the customers of gas companies, direct the gas companies to 248
enter into long-term contracts for active or passive demand response 249
measures that result in gas savings or time-of-use shifts from proposals 250
submitted pursuant to this section, provided the benefits of such 251
contracts to customers of gas companies outweigh the costs to such 252
companies' customers. 253
(h) Any agreement entered into pursuant to this section shall be 254
subject to review and approval by the Public Utilities Regulatory 255
Authority. The electric distribution company or gas company shall file 256
an application for the approval of any such agreement with the 257
authority. The authority shall approve such agreement if it is cost 258
effective and in the best interest of electric or gas ratepayers. The 259
authority shall issue a decision not later than ninety days after such 260
filing. If the authority does not issue a decision within ninety days after 261
such filing, the agreement shall be deemed approved. When an electric 262
distribution company or gas company both apply for recovery of net 263
costs of the same such agreement, the authority shall determine which 264
net costs are attributable to each company. The net costs of any such 265
agreement, including costs incurred by the electric distribution 266
company or gas company under the agreement and reasonable costs 267
incurred by the electric distribution company in connection with the 268
agreement, shall be recovered on a timely basis through a fully 269
reconciling component of electric rates or gas rates for all customers of 270
the electric distribution company or gas company. Any net revenues 271
from the sale of products purchased in accordance with long-term 272
contracts entered into pursuant to this section shall be credited to 273
customers through the same fully reconciling rate component for all 274
customers of the contracting electric distribution company. For any 275
contract for interstate natural gas transportation capacity, liquefied 276
natural gas, liquefied natural gas storage or natural gas storage entered 277
into pursuant to this section, the electric distribution company may 278
contract with a gas supply manager to sell such interstate natural gas 279
transportation capacity, liquefied natural gas, liquefied natural gas 280
storage or natural gas storage, or a combination thereof, into the 281 Substitute Bill No. 4
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wholesale markets at the best available price in a manner that meets all 282
applicable requirements pursuant to all applicable regulations of the 283
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. 284
(i) Certificates issued by the New England Power Pool Generation 285
Information System for any Class I renewable energy source or Class III 286
source procured by an electric distribution company pursuant to this 287
section may be: (1) Sold into the New England Power Pool Generation 288
Information System renewable energy credit market to be used by any 289
electric supplier or electric distribution company to meet the 290
requirements of section 16-245a, so long as the revenues from such sale 291
are credited to electric distribution company customers as described in 292
this subsection; or (2) retained by the electric distribution company to 293
meet the requirements of section 16-245a. In considering whether to sell 294
or retain such certificates the company shall select the option that is in 295
the best interest of such company's ratepayers. 296
Sec. 6. Section 16a-3m of the general statutes is repealed and the 297
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2025): 298
(a) For the purposes of this section: 299
(1) "Best interest of ratepayers" means the benefits of a contract or 300
proposal outweigh the costs to electric ratepayers, based on whether the 301
delivered prices of sources included in such contract or proposal are less 302
than the forecasted price of energy and capacity, as determined by the 303
commissioner or the commissioner's designee, and based on a 304
consideration of the following factors, as determined by the 305
commissioner or the commissioner's designee: (A) Impacts on electric 306
system operations and reliability; (B) the extent to which such contract 307
or proposal will contribute to (i) the local sourcing requirement set by 308
the regional independent system operator, as defined in section 16-1, 309
and (ii) meeting the requirements to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 310
and improve air quality in accordance with sections 16-245a, 22a-174 311
and 22a-200a; (C) fuel diversity; and (D) whether the proposal is aligned 312
with the policy goals outlined in the Integrated Resources Plan 313 Substitute Bill No. 4
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developed pursuant to section 16a-3a and the Comprehensive Energy 314
Strategy developed pursuant to section 16a-3d, including, but not 315
limited to, environmental impacts; and 316
(2) "Eligible nuclear power generating facility" means a nuclear 317
power generating facility that is located in the control area of the 318
regional independent system operator, as defined in section 16-1, and is 319
licensed to operate through January 1, 2030, or later. 320
(b) The Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection and 321
the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority shall (1) conduct an appraisal 322
regarding nuclear power generating facilities in accordance with 323
subsection (c) of this section, and (2) determine whether a solicitation 324
process for nuclear power generating facilities shall be conducted 325
pursuant to subsection (d) of this section. On or before February 1, 2018, 326
the commissioner and the authority shall report, in accordance with 327
section 11-4a, the results of the appraisal and the selection conducted 328
pursuant to subsection (d) of this section to the General Assembly. If the 329
General Assembly does not reject such results by a simple majority vote 330
in each house on or before March 1, 2018, such results shall be deemed 331
approved. 332
(c) The appraisal conducted pursuant to subdivision (1) of subsection 333
(b) of this section shall assess: (1) The current economic condition of 334
nuclear generating facilities located in the control area of the regional 335
independent system operator, as defined in section 16-1; (2) the 336
projected economic condition of nuclear power generating facilities 337
located in the control area of the regional independent system operator, 338
as defined in section 16-1; (3) the impact on the following considerations 339
if such nuclear power generating facilities retire before July 1, 2027: (A) 340
Electric markets, fuel diversity, energy security and grid reliability, (B) 341
the state's greenhouse gas emissions mandated levels established 342
pursuant to section 22a-200a, and (C) the state, regional and local 343
economy. 344
(d) After completing the appraisal, if the results of such appraisal 345 Substitute Bill No. 4
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demonstrate that action is necessary, the commissioner shall act and 346
may issue one or more solicitations, in consultation with the 347
procurement manager identified in subsection (l) of section 16-2 and the 348
Office of Consumer Counsel established in section 16-2a, for zero-349
carbon electricity generating resources, including, but not limited to, 350
eligible nuclear power generating facilities, hydropower, Class I 351
renewable energy sources, as defined in section 16-1, and energy storage 352
systems, provided (1) the total annual energy output of any proposals 353
selected, in the aggregate, shall be not more than twelve million 354
megawatt hours of electricity, (2) any agreement entered into pursuant 355
to this subdivision with an eligible nuclear power generating facility or 356
hydropower shall be for a period of not less than three years and not 357
more than ten years, and (3) any agreement entered into pursuant to this 358
subdivision with Class I renewable energy sources, as defined in section 359
16-1, and energy storage systems shall be for a period of not more than 360
twenty years. On or before May 1, 2018, if the results of such appraisal 361
demonstrate that one or more solicitations pursuant to this subsection 362
are necessary, the commissioner shall initiate such solicitation process 363
pursuant to this subsection, in accordance with subsection (e) of this 364
section, provided any changes made, contracts entered into or 365
agreements entered into are in the best interest of ratepayers. 366
(e) (1) Any solicitation issued pursuant to subsection (d) of this 367
section for zero-carbon electricity generating resources, including, but 368
not limited to, eligible nuclear power generating facilities, hydropower, 369
Class I renewable energy sources, as defined in section 16-1, and energy 370
storage systems, shall be for resources delivered into the control area of 371
the regional independent system operator, as defined in section 16-1, 372
and any agreement entered into pursuant to subdivision (2) of this 373
subsection shall be in the best interest of ratepayers. If the commissioner 374
finds proposals received pursuant to such solicitations to be in the best 375
interest of ratepayers, the commissioner may select any such proposal 376
or proposals, provided (A) the total annual energy output of any 377
proposals selected, in the aggregate, shall be not more than twelve 378
million megawatt hours of electricity, (B) any agreement entered into 379 Substitute Bill No. 4
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pursuant to this subdivision with an eligible nuclear power generating 380
facility or hydropower shall be for a period of not less than three years 381
and not more than ten years, and (C) any agreement entered into 382
pursuant to this subdivision with Class I renewable energy sources, as 383
defined in section 16-1, and energy storage systems shall be for a period 384
of not more than twenty years. 385
(2) If the commissioner has made the determination and finding 386
pursuant to subdivision (1) of this subsection, the commissioner shall, 387
on behalf of all customers of electric distribution companies, direct the 388
electric distribution companies to enter into agreements for energy, 389
capacity and any environmental attributes, or any combination thereof, 390
from proposals submitted pursuant to this subdivision. 391
(3) Any agreement entered into pursuant to subdivision (2) of this 392
subsection shall be subject to review and approval by the Public Utilities 393
Regulatory Authority. The electric distribution company shall file an 394
application for the approval of any such agreement with the authority. 395
The authority's review shall commence upon the filing of the signed 396
power purchase agreement with the authority. The authority shall 397
approve agreements that it determines (A) provide for the delivery of 398
adequate and reliable products and services, for which there is a clear 399
public need, at a just and reasonable price, (B) are prudent and cost 400
effective, and (C) that the respondent to the solicitation has the technical, 401
financial and managerial capabilities to perform pursuant to such 402
agreement. For any eligible nuclear power generating facility selected in 403
any solicitation described in subsection (g) of this section, the authority 404
shall require any such agreement to be conditioned upon the approval 405
of such a power purchase agreement or other agreement for energy, 406
capacity and any environmental attributes, or any combination thereof, 407
with such eligible nuclear power generating facility, in at least two other 408
states, by the applicable officials of such states or by electric utilities or 409
other entities designated by the applicable officials of such states. The 410
authority shall issue a decision not later than one hundred eighty days 411
after such filing. If the authority does not issue a decision within one 412
hundred eighty days after such filing, the agreement shall be deemed 413 Substitute Bill No. 4
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approved. The net costs of any such agreement, including costs incurred 414
by the electric distribution company under the agreement and 415
reasonable costs incurred by the electric distribution company in 416
connection with the agreement, but excluding costs associated with the 417
provision of standard service pursuant to subsection (h) of this section, 418
shall be recovered on a timely basis through a nonbypassable fully 419
reconciling component of electric rates for all customers of the electric 420
distribution company. Any net revenues from the sale of products 421
purchased in accordance with long-term contracts entered into pursuant 422
to this subsection, except any such net revenues associated with the 423
provision of standard service pursuant to subsection (h) of this section, 424
shall be credited to customers through the same nonbypassable fully 425
reconciling rate component for all customers of the contracting electric 426
distribution company. 427
(f) Each person owning and operating a nuclear power generating 428
facility in the state shall pay a pro rata share of all reasonable costs 429
associated with the department's appraisal pursuant to subsection (c) of 430
this section, determination pursuant to subsection (d) of this section, 431
and actions taken pursuant to subsection (e) of this section in an amount 432
not to exceed one million dollars. 433
(g) Any solicitation issued pursuant to this section on or after July 1, 434
2024, for eligible nuclear power generating facilities shall be conducted 435
in coordination with two or more other states in the control area of the 436
regional independent system operator, as defined in section 16-1. The 437
commissioner may not direct any electric distribution company to enter 438
into an agreement with an eligible nuclear power generating facility 439
pursuant to this section unless the applicable officials of at least two 440
such states select a proposal for energy, capacity and any environmental 441
attributes, or any combination thereof, from an eligible nuclear power 442
generating facility in response to such coordinated solicitation. The 443
commissioner may revise the appraisal conducted pursuant to 444
subsections (b) and (c) of this section in a manner determined by the 445
commissioner and in furtherance of any such solicitation, at the 446
commissioner's discretion. 447 Substitute Bill No. 4
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(h) (1) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsections (a) to (g), 448
inclusive, of this section, subsection (a) of section 16-244c and section 16-449
244m, an electric distribution company may request the procurement 450
manager of the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority to authorize such 451
company to use any portion of the energy, capacity or other energy 452
products, or any combination thereof, that such company purchases 453
from an eligible nuclear power generating facility pursuant to an 454
agreement entered into pursuant to subsection (e) of this section for the 455
purpose of providing electric generation services for standard service. 456
Not later than fifteen days after receiving such request, the procurement 457
manager shall, in consultation with the Office of Consumer Counsel, 458
approve or deny such request. The procurement manager may approve 459
such a request only if the procurement manager concludes that such 460
request is in the best interest of standard service customers. 461
(2) For any request that the procurement manager approves pursuant 462
to this subsection, the procurement manager shall establish: (A) The 463
time period during which such company shall use such energy, capacity 464
or other energy products to provide electric generation services for 465
standard service; (B) the quantity of energy, capacity or other energy 466
products that such company shall use to provide electric generation 467
services for standard service; and (C) the price that standard service 468
customers shall pay for such energy, capacity and other energy 469
products, provided the procurement manager may not establish a price 470
that is higher than the applicable price specified in the agreement that 471
such company entered into pursuant to subsection (e) of this section. 472
(3) If the procurement manager approves such request and 473
authorizes such company to use such portion of the energy, capacity or 474
other energy products to provide electric generation services for 475
standard service, the cost of such portion of energy, capacity or other 476
energy products shall be paid solely by standard service customers, in 477
accordance with the quantity and price established by the procurement 478
manager pursuant to subdivision (2) of this subsection. 479
(4) No person owning and operating a nuclear power generating 480 Substitute Bill No. 4
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facility in the state shall pay any administrative costs associated with the 481
procurement manager's actions pursuant to this subsection. 482
(5) Nothing in this subsection or subsection (g) of this section shall be 483
construed to amend or alter the terms or conditions of any agreement 484
that an electric distribution company entered into pursuant to 485
subsection (e) of this section. 486
Sec. 7. (NEW) (Effective from passage) (a) For the purposes of this 487
section: 488
(1) "Utility-scale renewable thermal energy network" means 489
distribution infrastructure (A) established for the purpose of providing 490
thermal energy for space heating and cooling, domestic hot water 491
production, refrigeration, thermal energy storage or commercial and 492
industrial processes requiring heating or cooling, and (B) implemented 493
through interconnections between one or more renewable thermal 494
energy resources, which may be owned by multiple parties, and 495
between these resources and heat pumps in multiple buildings owned 496
by multiple parties; and 497
(2) "Renewable thermal energy" means (A) ambient heating or 498
cooling provided, absorbed or stored by geothermal well boreholes or 499
other noncombusting, non-fossil-fuel-consuming, nonnuclear thermal 500
resources, or (B) thermal energy otherwise lost to the atmosphere or 501
other environmental compartment as waste heat. 502
(b) Notwithstanding the provisions of title 16 of the general statutes, 503
not later than twelve months after the effective date of this section, the 504
Public Utilities Regulatory Authority shall initiate a proceeding to 505
establish a program for development of utility-scale renewable thermal 506
energy networks by gas companies, as defined in section 16-1 of the 507
general statutes. In establishing said program, the authority shall 508
develop parameters for such networks, procedures for filing proposals 509
for such networks and a standardized data collection system enabling 510
the authority and the public to track the status and performance of 511
utility-scale renewable thermal energy networks developed pursuant to 512 Substitute Bill No. 4
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this section. 513
(c) The authority shall structure the utility-scale renewable thermal 514
energy network program in the best interest of ratepayers of public 515
service companies, as defined in section 16-1 of the general statutes. For 516
purposes of this section, a determination of the best interest of 517
ratepayers shall be based on an analysis of the reasonableness of the 518
size, scope, scale and character of the project and related budget and the 519
costs and benefits of the project, including, but not limited to: (1) 520
Avoided long-term energy and infrastructure investments in extending 521
or maintaining gas infrastructure; (2) the anticipated contribution of 522
such projects to alleviation of seasonal strains on the state's natural gas 523
supply and electric distribution system; (3) consumer protections and 524
benefits for end users of the project; (4) adherence to best practices 525
emerging from thermal energy network programs and project designs 526
developed in other states or elsewhere in the state; (5) potential for 527
accrual of capital and operational cost savings via interconnection with 528
other existing or future thermal energy networks; (6) improvements in 529
air quality in the buildings and neighborhood served by the project; and 530
(7) reductions in greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to achieving 531
the emissions reductions set forth in section 22a-200a of the general 532
statutes. The authority may approve a utility-scale renewable thermal 533
energy network proposal that meets the parameters established under 534
the program. 535
(d) The authority shall create a pilot component of the utility-scale 536
renewable thermal energy network program that requires each gas 537
company to file with the authority, for the authority's review and 538
approval, proposals for not less than one and not more than two pilot 539
projects for the development of utility-scale renewable thermal energy 540
networks that meet the program parameters established in subsection 541
(c) of this section. The authority shall review a proposal for a pilot 542
project based on the program parameters and on the basis of the 543
project's ability to provide insights into the potential for scaling up 544
future deployment of thermal energy networks in Connecticut, for 545
improving the performance of these networks and for bringing down 546 Substitute Bill No. 4
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the cost of broader deployment of these networks. 547
(e) The authority shall require projects submitted to the utility-scale 548
renewable thermal energy network program for approval to include a 549
proposed rate structure for thermal energy services supplied to network 550
end users and consumer-protection plans for end users. The authority 551
may approve the proposed rate structure if the projected heating and 552
cooling costs for end users is not greater than the heating and cooling 553
costs the end users would be projected to incur if had they not 554
participated. 555
(f) The authority shall approve the recovery of prudent costs incurred 556
by a gas company for the development and construction of projects 557
approved pursuant to the utility-scale renewable thermal energy 558
program through a nonbypassable and fully reconciling component of 559
gas rates for all customers of the gas company. 560
(g) A gas company may meet its obligation under subsection (b) of 561
section 16-20 of the general statutes through a project approved by the 562
authority pursuant to this section. 563
(h) The authority shall ensure the transparency and validity of the 564
outcomes of the projects developed pursuant to this section through 565
third-party evaluation of the data the authority collects through its 566
standardized data collection requirement. 567
(i) Nothing in this section shall prohibit a municipality from 568
developing, owning or maintaining a utility-scale renewable thermal 569
energy network. 570
(j) As part of the utility-scale renewable thermal energy network 571
program, the authority shall establish a working group to study thermal 572
energy networks comprising representatives of the staffs of the 573
authority, the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, the 574
Connecticut Green Bank, the gas and electric companies and 575
nongovernmental environmental organizations. 576 Substitute Bill No. 4
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(k) As part of the utility-scale renewable thermal energy network 577
program, the authority shall, through the working group established 578
under subsection (j) of this section, undertake a study or studies 579
assessing the potential breadth of deployment of thermal energy 580
networks in the state. Such study shall address factors including, but not 581
limited to: (1) Technical feasibility; (2) economic feasibility, taking into 582
account the potential for (A) reduction in energy costs of the customer 583
that is the off-taker of the system; (B) reduction in network capital costs 584
as the scale of deployments increases; (C) reduction in capital and 585
operating costs as thermal energy networks are interconnected; (D) 586
avoided cost of expanding and maintaining portions of the gas-587
distribution system; (E) minimization of the cost of expanding the 588
electricity distribution system to facilitate increasing electrification of 589
thermal loads; (F) reduction in per-kilowatt-hour cost of supplying 590
electricity as more electricity is sold; (G) state and federal financial 591
incentives available; (H) employing and advancing the skills of gas-592
utility workers; (I) providing the gas utility companies a business model 593
not dependent on continued use of combustion of fossil fuels; and (J) 594
improvement of air quality; (3) deployment strategies to maximize the 595
scope, minimize the cost and equitably allocate the cost of thermal 596
energy networks, including systematic identification of significant 597
sources of waste heat across the state; (4) considerations regarding 598
deployment in (A) low and moderate income communities, (B) 599
environmental justice communities, (C) new residential and commercial 600
construction versus retrofitting existing residential and commercial 601
buildings, (D) urban versus rural communities, (E) areas with existing 602
gas service versus areas without, and (F) ownership and business 603
models; and (5) appropriate parameters for broader deployment in the 604
near and medium term, including site selection, network design, 605
interactions with, and impacts on, the gas and electricity distribution 606
systems, ratepayer protections, billing models, consumer protections, 607
data collection, community engagement and deployment in low and 608
moderate income communities and environmental justice communities. 609
Sec. 8. Section 16-32e of the general statutes is repealed and the 610 Substitute Bill No. 4
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following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2025): 611
(a) As used in this section, "emergency" means any (1) hurricane, 612
tornado, storm, flood, high water, wind-driven water, tidal wave, 613
tsunami, earthquake, volcanic eruption, landslide, mudslide, 614
snowstorm, drought or fire explosion, or (2) attack or series of attacks 615
by an enemy of the United States causing, or which may cause, 616
substantial damage or injury to civilian property or persons in the 617
United States in any manner by sabotage or by the use of bombs, 618
shellfire or atomic, radiological, chemical, bacteriological or biological 619
means or other weapons or processes. 620
(b) Not later than July 1, 2012, and every two years thereafter, each 621
public service company, as defined in section 16 -1, each 622
telecommunications company, as defined in section 16-1, that installs, 623
maintains, operates or controls poles, wires, conduits or other fixtures 624
under or over any public highway for the provision of 625
telecommunications service authorized by section 16-247c, each voice 626
over Internet protocol service provider, as defined in section 28-30b, and 627
each municipal utility furnishing electric, gas or water service shall file 628
with the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority, the Department of 629
Emergency Services and Public Protection and each municipality 630
located within the service area of the public service company, 631
telecommunications company, voice over Internet protocol service 632
provider or municipal utility an updated plan for restoring service 633
which is interrupted as a result of an emergency, except no such plan 634
shall be required of a public service company or municipal utility that 635
submits a water supply plan pursuant to section 25-32d. Plans filed by 636
public service companies and municipal utilities furnishing water shall 637
be prepared in accordance with the memorandum of understanding 638
entered into pursuant to section 4-67e. 639
(c) (1) Each company, provider or utility required to file a plan for 640
restoring service pursuant to subsection (b) of this section shall establish 641
an emergency service restoration planning committee to prepare such 642
plan. Not less than fifty per cent of the members of such committee shall 643 Substitute Bill No. 4
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be line and restoration crew members employed by such company, 644
provider or utility. The balance of the members appointed to such 645
committee shall be appointed by such company, provider or utility. 646
(2) If line and restoration crew members employed by such company, 647
provider or utility are members of a collective bargaining unit, the 648
collective bargaining unit shall select the line and restoration crew 649
members appointed to such committee. If such line and restoration crew 650
members are not members of a collective bargaining unit, the line and 651
crew members appointed to such committee shall be selected through a 652
process determined by the line and crew members employed by such 653
company, provider or utility. 654
(3) A committee established pursuant to this subsection shall have 655
two cochairpersons, one of whom shall be a line and restoration crew 656
member employed by such company, provider or utility elected by the 657
members of the committee who are line and restoration crew members, 658
and one of whom shall be elected by the members of the committee who 659
are not line and restoration crew members. 660
(4) A committee established pursuant to this subsection shall take 661
minutes of each meeting, make such minutes available to any employee 662
of such company, provider or utility upon request and submit such 663
minutes to the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority and the 664
Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection upon request. 665
A majority of the members of the committee shall constitute a quorum 666
for the transaction of committee business. Decisions of the committee 667
shall be made by majority vote of the members present at any meeting. 668
(d) Each such plan for restoring service which is interrupted as a 669
result of an emergency shall include measures for (1) communication 670
and coordination with state officials, municipalities and other public 671
service companies and telecommunications companies during a major 672
disaster, as defined in section 28-1, or an emergency; [and] (2) 673
participation in training exercises as directed by the Commissioner of 674
Emergency Services and Public Protection; (3) measures to protect the 675 Substitute Bill No. 4
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health and safety of line and restoration crews during an emergency and 676
during the restoration of service, including the provision of appropriate 677
personal protective equipment; (4) measures to protect the health and 678
safety of household and community members during an emergency and 679
during the restoration of service; and (5) a training and skills plan for 680
line and restoration workers. If line and restoration crew members are 681
members of a collective bargaining unit, such training and skills plan 682
shall be jointly developed by the company, provider or utility and such 683
collective bargaining unit. Each such plan shall include such company's, 684
provider's or municipal utility's response for service outages affecting 685
more than ten per cent, thirty per cent, fifty per cent and seventy per 686
cent of such company's, provider's or municipal utility's customers. On 687
or before September 1, 2012, and biannually thereafter, the authority 688
shall submit a report, in accordance with section 11-4a, to the joint 689
standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of 690
matters relating to public utilities summarizing such plans. Not later 691
than September 15, 2012, and every two years thereafter, the Public 692
Utilities Regulatory Authority may conduct public hearings on such 693
plans and, in consultation with the Department of Emergency Services 694
and Public Protection, the Department of Public Health and the joint 695
standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of 696
matters relating to public utilities, revise such plans to the extent 697
necessary to provide properly for the public convenience, necessity and 698
welfare. If the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority revises the 699
emergency plan of a public service company, telecommunications 700
company, voice over Internet protocol service provider or municipal 701
utility, such company, provider or municipal utility shall file a copy of 702
the revised plan with each municipality located within the service area 703
of the company, provider or municipal utility. Any information 704
provided in any such plan shall be considered confidential, not subject 705
to disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act, as defined in 706
section 1-200, and any such information shall not be transmitted to any 707
person except as needed to comply with this section. 708
[(c)] (e) At the discretion of the Commissioner of Emergency Services 709 Substitute Bill No. 4
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and Public Protection or after an emergency or major disaster is declared 710
in the state by the Governor under the laws of this state or by the 711
President of the United States under federal law, each telephone 712
company, certified telecommunications provider, holder of a certificate 713
of video franchise authority or holder of a certificate of cable franchise 714
authority, as those terms are defined in section 16-1, with more than 715
twenty-five thousand subscribers, shall provide a representative to staff 716
the emergency operations center of an affected electric distribution 717
company, as defined in section 16 -1, as needed to ensure 718
communication and coordination during emergency response and 719
restoration efforts. 720
Sec. 9. Section 16-32l of the general statutes is repealed and the 721
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2025): 722
(a) For the purposes of this section: 723
(1) "Emergency" means any hurricane, tornado, storm, flood, high 724
water, wind-driven water, tidal wave, earthquake, landslide, mudslide, 725
snowstorm, drought or fire explosion that results in sixty-nine per cent 726
or less of the electric distribution company's customers experiencing an 727
outage at the period of peak electrical demand; 728
(2) "Electric distribution company" has the same meaning as 729
provided in section 16-1; and 730
(3) "After the occurrence of an emergency" means the conclusion of 731
the emergency, as determined by the authority in its discretion, through 732
a review of the following: (A) The time when the electric distribution 733
company could first deploy resources safely in its service territory; (B) 734
the first of any official declarations concerning the end of the emergency; 735
or (C) the expiration of the first of any National Weather Service 736
warning applicable to the service territory. 737
(b) Notwithstanding any other provision of the general statutes, on 738
and after July 1, 2021, each electric distribution company shall provide 739
to residential customers of such company a credit of twenty-five dollars, 740 Substitute Bill No. 4
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on the balance of such customer's account, for each day of distribution-741
system service outage that occurs for such customers for more than 742
ninety-six consecutive hours after the occurrence of an emergency. 743
(c) Any costs incurred by an electric distribution company pursuant 744
to this section shall not be recoverable. 745
(d) Not later than fourteen calendar days after the occurrence of an 746
emergency, an electric distribution company may petition the authority 747
for a waiver of the requirements of this section. Any petition for a waiver 748
made under this subsection shall include the severity of the emergency, 749
line and restoration crew safety issues and conditions on the ground, 750
and shall be conducted as a contested case proceeding. The burden of 751
proving that such waiver is reasonable and warranted shall be on the 752
electric distribution company. In determining whether to grant such 753
waiver, the authority shall consider whether the electric distribution 754
company received approval and reasonable funding allowances, as 755
determined by the authority, to meet infrastructure resiliency efforts to 756
improve such company's performance. 757
(e) No electric distribution company shall require any line and 758
restoration crew member to work in unsafe conditions to avoid 759
providing credits to customer accounts pursuant to subsection (b) of this 760
section or for any other reason. 761
(f) No electric distribution company shall discipline, terminate, 762
withhold wages from or otherwise retaliate against any line and 763
restoration crew member for failing to restore a distribution system 764
outage within the ninety-six-hour period specified in subsection (b) of 765
this section. 766
[(e)] (g) On or before January 1, 2021, the Public Utilities Regulatory 767
Authority shall initiate a proceeding to consider the implementation of 768
the residential customer credit and waiver provisions of this section and 769
establish circumstances, standards and methodologies applicable to 770
each electric distribution company and necessary to implement the 771
provisions of this section, including any modifications to the ninety-six-772 Substitute Bill No. 4
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consecutive-hour standard in subsection (b) of this section. The 773
authority shall issue a final decision in such proceeding on or before July 774
1, 2021. 775
Sec. 10. Section 16-32m of the general statutes is repealed and the 776
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2025): 777
(a) For the purposes of this section: 778
(1) "Emergency" means any hurricane, tornado, storm, flood, high 779
water, wind-driven water, tidal wave, earthquake, landslide, mudslide, 780
snowstorm, drought or fire explosion that results in sixty-nine per cent 781
or less of the electric distribution company's customers experiencing an 782
outage at the period of peak electrical demand; 783
(2) "Electric distribution company" has the same meaning as 784
provided in section 16-1; and 785
(3) "After the occurrence of an emergency" means the conclusion of 786
the emergency, as determined by the authority in its discretion, through 787
a review of the following: (A) The time when the electric distribution 788
company could first deploy resources safely in its service territory; (B) 789
the first of any official declarations concerning the end of the emergency; 790
or (C) the expiration of the first of any National Weather Service 791
warning applicable to the service territory. 792
(b) On and after July 1, 2021, each electric distribution company shall 793
provide to each residential customer compensation in an amount of two 794
hundred fifty dollars, in the aggregate, for any medication and food that 795
expires or spoils due to a distribution-system service outage that lasts 796
more than ninety-six consecutive hours in duration after the occurrence 797
of an emergency. 798
(c) Any costs incurred by an electric distribution company pursuant 799
to this section shall not be recoverable. 800
(d) Not later than fourteen calendar days after the occurrence of an 801
emergency, an electric distribution company may petition the authority 802 Substitute Bill No. 4
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for a waiver of the requirements of this section. Any petition for a waiver 803
made under this subsection shall include the severity of the emergency, 804
line and restoration crew safety issues and conditions on the ground, 805
and shall be conducted as a contested case proceeding. The burden of 806
proving that such waiver is reasonable and warranted shall be on the 807
electric distribution company. In determining whether to grant such 808
waiver, the authority shall consider whether the electric distribution 809
company received approval and reasonable funding allowances, as 810
determined by the authority, to meet infrastructure resiliency efforts to 811
improve such company's performance. 812
(e) No electric distribution company shall require any line and 813
restoration crew member to work in unsafe conditions to avoid 814
providing credits to customer accounts pursuant to subsection (b) of this 815
section or for any other reason. 816
(f) No electric distribution company shall discipline, terminate, 817
withhold wages from or otherwise retaliate against any line and 818
restoration crew member for failing to restore a distribution system 819
outage within the ninety-six-hour period specified in subsection (b) of 820
this section. 821
[(e)] (g) On or before January 1, 2021, the Public Utilities Regulatory 822
Authority shall initiate a proceeding to consider the implementation of 823
the compensation reimbursement and waiver provisions of this section 824
and establish circumstances, standards and methodologies applicable to 825
each electric distribution company and necessary to implement the 826
provisions of this section, including any modifications to the ninety-six-827
consecutive-hour standard in subsection (b) of this section. The 828
authority shall issue a final decision in such proceeding on or before July 829
1, 2021. 830
Sec. 11. (NEW) (Effective from passage) (a) Not later than July 1, 2025, 831
the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority shall open an uncontested 832
proceeding, or amend the notice of proceeding in an active proceeding, 833
to evaluate the criteria and standards related to appropriate protections 834 Substitute Bill No. 4
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from service termination for customers of a regulated gas company or 835
electric distribution company, as those terms are defined in section 16-1 836
of the general statutes, with a serious illness or life-threatening medical 837
condition. Such evaluation shall include, but need not be limited to: 838
(1) Reviewing protections for customers with a serious illness or life-839
threatening medical condition, and making recommendations on 840
appropriate standards for conditioning protections to such customers 841
on their ability to pay; 842
(2) Evaluating whether additional notice requirements prior to 843
shutoff would be appropriate for customers with a serious illness and 844
life-threatening medical condition; 845
(3) Evaluating the current procedures and practices and the relevant 846
information collected for verification of hardship status; 847
(4) Evaluating the impact on the ratepayers; and 848
(5) Evaluating the requirement for a medical hardship customer to 849
enroll in a payment plan. 850
(b) Not later than February 4, 2026, the chairperson of the Public 851
Utilities Regulatory Authority shall submit a report, in accordance with 852
the provisions of section 11-4a of the general statutes, to the joint 853
standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of 854
matters relating to energy and technology, summarizing the results of 855
such proceeding and providing recommendations regarding service 856
termination policies, and procedures evaluated in such proceeding. 857
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
sections:
Section 1 October 1, 2025 22a-136
Sec. 2 July 1, 2025 New section
Sec. 3 July 1, 2025 New section
Sec. 4 October 1, 2025 16a-102(a)
Sec. 5 October 1, 2025 16a-3j Substitute Bill No. 4
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Sec. 6 October 1, 2025 16a-3m
Sec. 7 from passage New section
Sec. 8 October 1, 2025 16-32e
Sec. 9 October 1, 2025 16-32l
Sec. 10 October 1, 2025 16-32m
Sec. 11 from passage New section
Statement of Legislative Commissioners:
In Section 4(a), "his" was changed to "[his] the commissioner's" for
consistency with the general statutes; and in Section 7(k), "Said" was
changed to "Such" for proper form.
ET Joint Favorable Subst.