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General Assembly Raised Bill No. 1352
January Session, 2025
LCO No. 4862
Referred to Committee on ENERGY AND TECHNOLOGY
Introduced by:
(ET)
AN ACT PROMOTING ENERGY EFFICIENCY.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:
Section 1. Section 16a-48 of the general statutes is repealed and the 1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: 3
(1) "Department" means the Department of Energy and 4
Environmental Protection; 5
(2) "Commissioner" means the Commissioner of Energy and 6
Environmental Protection; 7
(3) "State Building Code" means the building code adopted pursuant 8
to section 29-252; 9
[(2)] (4) "Fluorescent lamp ballast" or "ballast" means a device 10
designed to operate fluorescent lamps by providing a starting voltage 11
and current and limiting the current during normal operation, but does 12
not include such devices that have a dimming capability or are intended 13
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for use in ambient temperatures of zero degrees Fahrenheit or less or 14
have a power factor of less than sixty-one hundredths for a single 15
F40T12 lamp; 16
[(3)] (5) "F40T12 lamp" means a tubular fluorescent lamp that is a 17
nominal forty-watt lamp, with a forty-eight-inch tube length and one 18
and one-half inches in diameter; 19
[(4) "F96T12 lamp" means a tubular fluorescent lamp that is a nominal 20
seventy-five-watt lamp with a ninety-six-inch tube length and one and 21
one-half inches in diameter; 22
(5) "Luminaire" means a complete lighting unit consisting of a 23
fluorescent lamp, or lamps, together with parts designed to distribute 24
the light, to position and protect such lamps, and to connect such lamps 25
to the power supply; 26
(6) "New product" means a product that is sold, offered for sale, or 27
installed for the first time and specifically includes floor models and 28
demonstration units; 29
(7) "Commissioner" means the Commissioner of Energy and 30
Environmental Protection; 31
(8) "State Building Code" means the building code adopted pursuant 32
to section 29-252;] 33
[(9)] (6) "Torchiere lighting fixture" means a portable electric lighting 34
fixture with a reflector bowl giving light directed upward [so as] to give 35
indirect illumination; 36
[(10) "Unit heater" means a self-contained, vented fan-type 37
commercial space heater that uses natural gas or propane and that is 38
designed to be installed without ducts within the heated space. "Unit 39
heater" does not include a product regulated by federal standards 40
pursuant to 42 USC 6291, as amended from time to time, a product that 41
is a direct vent, forced flue heater with a sealed combustion burner, or 42
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any oil fired heating system; 43
(11) "Transformer" means a device consisting of two or more coils of 44
insulated wire that transfers alternating current by electromagnetic 45
induction from one coil to another in order to change the original 46
voltage or current value; 47
(12) "Low-voltage dry-type transformer" means a transformer that: 48
(A) Has an input voltage of six hundred volts or less; (B) is between 49
fourteen kilovolt-amperes and two thousand five hundred one kilovolt-50
amperes in size; (C) is air-cooled; and (D) does not use oil as a coolant. 51
"Low-voltage dry-type transformer" does not include such transformers 52
excluded from the low-voltage dry-type distribution transformer 53
definition contained in the California Code of Regulations, Title 20: 54
Division 2, Chapter 4, Article 4: Appliance Efficiency Regulations; 55
(13) "Pass-through cabinet" means a refrigerator or freezer with 56
hinged or sliding doors on both the front and rear of the refrigerator or 57
freezer; 58
(14) "Reach-in cabinet" means a refrigerator, freezer, or combination 59
thereof, with hinged or sliding doors or lids; 60
(15) "Roll-in" or "roll-through cabinet" means a refrigerator or freezer 61
with hinged or sliding doors that allows wheeled racks of product to be 62
rolled into or through the refrigerator or freezer; 63
(16) "Commercial refrigerators and freezers" means reach-in cabinets, 64
pass-through cabinets, roll-in cabinets and roll-through cabinets that 65
have less than eighty-five feet of capacity, which are designed for the 66
refrigerated or frozen storage of food and food products; 67
(17) "Traffic signal module" means a standard eight-inch or twelve-68
inch round traffic signal indicator consisting of a light source, lens and 69
all parts necessary for operation and communication of movement 70
messages to drivers through red, amber and green colors; 71
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(18) "Illuminated exit sign" means an internally illuminated sign that 72
is designed to be permanently fixed in place and used to identify an exit 73
by means of a light source that illuminates the sign or letters from within 74
where the background of the exit sign is not transparent; 75
(19) "Packaged air-conditioning equipment" means air-conditioning 76
equipment that is built as a package and shipped as a whole to end-user 77
sites; 78
(20) "Large packaged air-conditioning equipment" means air-cooled 79
packaged air-conditioning equipment having not less than two hundred 80
forty thousand BTUs per hour of capacity; 81
(21) "Commercial clothes washer" means a soft mount front-loading 82
or soft mount top-loading clothes washer that is designed for use in (A) 83
applications where the occupants of more than one household will be 84
using it, such as in multifamily housing common areas and coin 85
laundries; or (B) other commercial applications, if the clothes container 86
compartment is no greater than three and one-half cubic feet for 87
horizontal-axis clothes washers or no greater than four cubic feet for 88
vertical-axis clothes washers; 89
(22) "Energy efficiency ratio" means a measure of the relative 90
efficiency of a heating or cooling appliance that is equal to the unit's 91
output in BTUs per hour divided by its consumption of energy, 92
measured in watts; 93
(23) "Electricity ratio" means the ratio of furnace electricity use to total 94
furnace energy use; 95
(24) "Boiler" means a space heater that is a self-contained appliance 96
for supplying steam or hot water primarily intended for space-heating. 97
"Boiler" does not include hot water supply boilers; 98
(25) "Central furnace" means a self-contained space heater designed 99
to supply heated air through ducts of more than ten inches in length; 100
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(26) "Residential furnace or boiler" means a product that utilizes only 101
single-phase electric current or single-phase electric current or DC 102
current in conjunction with natural gas, propane or home heating oil 103
and that (A) is designed to be the principal heating source for the living 104
space of a residence; (B) is not contained within the same cabinet as a 105
central air conditioner with a rated cooling capacity of not less than 106
sixty-five thousand BTUs per hour; (C) is an electric central furnace, 107
electric boiler, forced-air central furnace, gravity central furnace or low 108
pressure steam or hot water boiler; and (D) has a heat input rate of less 109
than three hundred thousand BTUs per hour for an electric boiler and 110
low pressure steam or hot water boiler and less than two hundred 111
twenty-five thousand BTUs per hour for a forced-air central furnace, 112
gravity central furnace and electric central furnace; 113
(27) "Furnace air handler" means the section of the furnace that 114
includes the fan, blower and housing, generally upstream of the burners 115
and heat exchanger. The furnace air handler may include a filter and a 116
cooling coil;] 117
[(28)] (7) "High-intensity discharge lamp" means a lamp in which 118
light is produced by the passage of an electric current through a vapor 119
or gas, the light-producing arc is stabilized by bulb wall temperature 120
and the arc tube has a bulb wall loading in excess of three watts per 121
square centimeter; 122
[(29)] (8) "Metal halide lamp" means a high intensity discharge lamp 123
in which the major portion of the light is produced by radiation of metal 124
halides and their products of dissociation, possibly in combination with 125
metallic vapors; 126
[(30)] (9) "Metal halide lamp fixture" means a light fixture designed 127
to be operated with a metal halide lamp and a ballast for a metal halide 128
lamp; 129
[(31)] (10) "Probe start metal halide ballast" means a ballast used to 130
operate metal halide lamps that does not contain an ignitor and that 131
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instead starts lamps by using a third starting electrode probe in the arc 132
tube; 133
[(32) "Single voltage external AC to DC power supply" means a 134
device that (A) is designed to convert line voltage AC input into lower 135
voltage DC output; (B) is able to convert to only one DC output voltage 136
at a time; (C) is sold with, or intended to be used with, a separate end 137
use product that constitutes the primary power load; (D) is contained 138
within a separate physical enclosure from the end use product; (E) is 139
connected to the end use product in a removable or hard-wired male 140
and female electrical connection, cable, cord or other wiring; (F) does 141
not have batteries or battery packs, including those that are removable 142
or that physically attach directly to the power supply unit; (G) does not 143
have a battery chemistry or type selector switch and indicator light or a 144
battery chemistry or type selector switch and a state of charge meter; 145
and (H) has a nameplate output power less than or equal to two 146
hundred fifty watts;] 147
[(33)] (11) "State regulated incandescent reflector lamp" means a lamp 148
that is not colored or designed for rough or vibration service 149
applications, has an inner reflective coating on the outer bulb to direct 150
the light, has an E26 medium screw base, a rated voltage or voltage 151
range that lies at least partially within one hundred fifteen to one 152
hundred thirty volts, and that falls into one of the following categories: 153
(A) A bulged reflector, [or] elliptical reflector or a blown PAR bulb shape 154
[and] that has a diameter that equals or exceeds two and one-quarter 155
inches, or (B) a reflector, parabolic aluminized reflector, bulged reflector 156
or similar bulb shape [and] that has a diameter of two and one-quarter 157
to two and three-quarters inches. "State regulated incandescent reflector 158
lamp" does not include ER30, BR30, BR40 and ER40 lamps of not more 159
than fifty watts, BR30, BR40 and ER40 lamps of sixty-five watts and R20 160
lamps of not more than forty-five watts; 161
[(34) "Bottle-type water dispenser" means a water dispenser that uses 162
a bottle or reservoir as the source of potable water;] 163
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[(35)] (12) "Commercial hot food holding cabinet" means a heated, 164
fully-enclosed compartment with one or more solid or [partial glass] 165
transparent doors [that is] designed to maintain the temperature of hot 166
food that has been cooked [in] using a separate appliance. "Commercial 167
hot food holding cabinet" does not include heated glass merchandizing 168
cabinets, drawer warmers or cook-and-hold appliances; 169
[(36) "Pool heater" means an appliance designed for heating 170
nonpotable water contained at atmospheric pressure for swimming 171
pools, spas, hot tubs and similar applications, including natural gas, 172
heat pump, oil and electric resistance pool heaters;] 173
[(37)] (13) "Portable electric spa" means a factory-built electric spa or 174
hot tub supplied with equipment for heating and circulating water; 175
[(38) "Residential pool pump" means a pump used to circulate and 176
filter pool water to maintain clarity and sanitation; 177
(39) "Walk-in refrigerator" means a space refrigerated to 178
temperatures at or above thirty-two degrees Fahrenheit that has a total 179
chilled storage area of less than three thousand square feet, can be 180
walked into and is designed for the refrigerated storage of food and food 181
products. "Walk-in refrigerator" does not include refrigerated 182
warehouses and products designed and marketed exclusively for 183
medical, scientific or research purposes; 184
(40) "Walk-in freezer" means a space refrigerated to temperatures 185
below thirty-two degrees Fahrenheit that has a total chilled storage area 186
of less than three thousand square feet, can be walked into and is 187
designed for the frozen storage of food and food products. "Walk-in 188
freezer" does not include refrigerated warehouses and products 189
designed and marketed exclusively for medical, scientific or research 190
purposes; 191
(41) "Central air conditioner" means a central air conditioning model 192
that consists of one or more factory-made assemblies, which normally 193
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include an evaporator or cooling coil, compressor and condenser. 194
Central air conditioning models may provide the function of air cooling, 195
air cleaning, dehumidifying or humidifying;] 196
[(42)] (14) "Combination television" means a system in which a 197
television or television monitor and an additional device or devices, 198
including, but not limited to, a digital versatile disc player or video 199
cassette recorder, are combined into a single unit in which the additional 200
devices are included in the television casing; 201
[(43) "Compact audio player" means an integrated audio system 202
encased in a single housing that includes an amplifier and radio tuner 203
with attached or separable speakers and can reproduce audio from one 204
or more of the following media: Magnetic tape, compact disc, digital 205
versatile disc or flash memory. "Compact audio player" does not mean 206
a product that can be independently powered by internal batteries, has 207
a powered external satellite antenna or can provide a video output 208
signal;] 209
[(44)] (15) "Component television" means a television composed of 210
two or more separate components, such as a separate display device and 211
tuner, marketed and sold as a television under one model or system 212
designation, which may have more than one power cord; 213
[(45)] (16) "Computer monitor" [means an analog or digital device 214
designed primarily for the display of computer generated signals and 215
that is not marketed for use as a television] has the same meaning as 216
provided in section 1602 of the California Code of Regulations, Title 20, 217
Division 2, Chapter 4, Article 4; 218
[(46)] (17) "Digital versatile disc" means a laser-encoded plastic 219
medium capable of storing a large amount of digital audio, video and 220
computer data; 221
[(47)] (18) "Digital versatile disc player" means a commercially 222
available electronic product encased in a single housing that includes an 223
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integral power supply and for which the sole purpose is the decoding 224
of digitized video signals; 225
[(48) "Digital versatile disc recorder" means a commercially available 226
electronic product encased in a single housing that includes an integral 227
power supply and for which the sole purpose is the production or 228
recording of digitized audio, video and computer signals on a digital 229
versatile disc. "Digital versatile disc recorder" does not include a model 230
that has an electronic programming guide function;] 231
[(49)] (19) "Television" means an analog or digital device designed 232
primarily for the display and reception of a terrestrial, satellite, cable, 233
internet protocol television or other broadcast or recorded transmission 234
of analog or digital video and audio signals. "Television" includes 235
combination televisions, television monitors, component televisions 236
and any unit that is marketed to consumers as a television but does not 237
include a computer monitor; 238
[(50)] (20) "Television monitor" means a television that does not have 239
an internal tuner/receiver or playback device; 240
(21) "Cold temperature fluorescent lamp" means a fluorescent lamp 241
that is not a compact fluorescent lamp that: (A) Is specifically designed 242
to start at negative twenty degrees Fahrenheit when used with a ballast 243
that conforms to the requirements of ANSI C78.81 and ANSI C78.901; 244
and (B) is expressly designated as a cold temperature lamp both in 245
markings on the lamp and in marketing materials, including, but not 246
limited to, catalogs, sales literature and promotional material; 247
(22) "Computer" has the same meaning as provided in section 1602 of 248
the California Code of Regulations, Title 20, Division 2, Chapter 4, 249
Article 4; 250
(23) "Commercial dishwasher" means a machine designed to clean 251
and sanitize plates, pots, pans, glasses, cups, bowls, utensils and trays 252
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by applying sprays of detergent solution, with or without blasting 253
media granules, and a sanitizing rinse; 254
(24) "Commercial fryer" means an appliance, including a cooking 255
vessel, in which oil is placed to such a depth that the cooking food is 256
essentially supported by displacement of the cooking fluid rather than 257
by the bottom of the vessel. Heat is delivered to the cooking fluid by 258
means of an immersed electric element or band-wrapped vessel, for an 259
electric fryer, or by heat transfer from gas burners through either the 260
walls of the fryer or through tubes passing through the cooking fluid, 261
for a gas fryer; 262
(25) "Commercial oven" means a chamber designed for heating, 263
roasting or baking food by conduction, convection, radiation or 264
electromagnetic energy; 265
(26) "Commercial steam cooker" or "compartment steamer" means a 266
device with one or more food-steaming compartments in which the 267
energy in the steam is transferred to the food by direct contact, 268
including, but not limited to, the following models: Countertop models, 269
wall-mounted models and floor models mounted on a stand, pedestal 270
or cabinet-style base; 271
(27) "High color rendering index fluorescent lamp" means a 272
fluorescent lamp with a color rendering index of eighty-seven or greater 273
that is not a compact fluorescent lamp; 274
(28) "Impact-resistant fluorescent lamp" means a fluorescent lamp 275
that is not a compact fluorescent lamp that: (A) Has a coating or 276
equivalent technology that is in compliance with NSF/ANSI 51 and is 277
designed to contain the glass if the glass envelope of the lamp is broken; 278
and (B) is designated and marketed for the intended application, with 279
the designation on the lamp packaging and marketing materials that 280
identify the lamp as being impact-resistant, shatter-resistant, shatter-281
proof or shatter-protected; 282
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(29) "Faucet" means a lavatory faucet, kitchen faucet, metering faucet, 283
public lavatory faucet or replacement aerator for a lavatory, public 284
lavatory or kitchen faucet; 285
(30) "Lavatory faucet" means a plumbing fitting designed for 286
discharge into a lavatory; 287
(31) "Public lavatory faucet" means a fitting intended to be installed 288
in nonresidential bathrooms that are exposed to walk-in traffic; 289
(32) "Metering faucet" means a fitting that, when turned on, will 290
gradually shut itself off over a period of several seconds; 291
(33) "Residential ventilating fan" means a ceiling, wall-mounted or 292
remotely mounted in-line fan designed to be used in a bathroom or 293
utility room, whose purpose is to move air from inside the building to 294
the outdoors; 295
(34) "Showerhead" means a device through which water is 296
discharged for a shower bath and includes a hand-held showerhead but 297
does not include a safety shower showerhead; 298
(35) "Hand-held showerhead" means a showerhead that can be held 299
or fixed in place for the purpose of spraying water onto a bather and 300
that is connected to a flexible hose; 301
(36) "Water cooler" means a freestanding device that consumes 302
energy to cool or heat potable water; 303
(37) "Hot and cold unit water cooler" means a water cooler that 304
dispenses both hot and cold water and may dispense room-temperature 305
water; 306
(38) "Cook and cold unit water cooler" means a water cooler that 307
dispenses both cold and room-temperature water; 308
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(39) "Storage-type hot and cold unit water cooler" means a water 309
cooler where thermally conditioned water is stored in a tank in the water 310
cooler and is available instantaneously, including, but not limited to, 311
point-of-use, dry storage compartment and bottled water coolers; 312
(40) "On-demand hot and cold water cooler" means a water cooler 313
that heats water as it is requested and typically takes a few minutes to 314
deliver; 315
(41) "Gas fireplace" means a decorative gas fireplace or a heating gas 316
fireplace; 317
(42) "Decorative gas fireplace" means a vented fireplace, including 318
appliances that are freestanding, recessed or zero clearance, or a gas 319
fireplace insert, that is fueled by natural gas or propane, is marked for 320
decorative use only and is not equipped with a thermostat or intended 321
for use as a heater; 322
(43) "Heating gas fireplace" means a vented fireplace, including 323
appliances that are freestanding, recessed or zero clearance, or a gas 324
fireplace insert, that is fueled by natural gas or propane and is not a 325
decorative fireplace; and 326
(44) "Replacement aerator" means an aerator sold as a replacement, 327
separate from the faucet to which is intended to be attached. 328
[(b) The provisions of this section apply to the testing, certification 329
and enforcement of efficiency standards for the following types of new 330
products sold, offered for sale or installed in the state: (1) Commercial 331
clothes washers; (2) commercial refrigerators and freezers; (3) 332
illuminated exit signs; (4) large packaged air-conditioning equipment; 333
(5) low voltage dry-type distribution transformers; (6) torchiere lighting 334
fixtures; (7) traffic signal modules; (8) unit heaters; (9) residential 335
furnaces and boilers; (10) residential pool pumps; (11) metal halide lamp 336
fixtures; (12) single voltage external AC to DC power supplies; (13) state 337
regulated incandescent reflector lamps; (14) bottle-type water 338
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dispensers; (15) commercial hot food holding cabinets; (16) portable 339
electric spas; (17) walk-in refrigerators and walk-in freezers; (18) pool 340
heaters; (19) compact audio players; (20) televisions; (21) digital versatile 341
disc players; (22) digital versatile disc recorders; and (23) any other 342
products as may be designated by the commissioner in accordance with 343
subdivision (3) of subsection (d) of this section.] 344
[(c)] (b) The provisions of this section do not apply to (1) new 345
products manufactured in the state and sold outside the state, (2) new 346
products manufactured outside the state and sold at wholesale inside 347
the state for final retail sale and installation outside the state, (3) 348
products installed in mobile manufactured homes at the time of 349
construction, or (4) products designed expressly for installation and use 350
in recreational vehicles. 351
[(d) (1) The Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection 352
shall adopt regulations, in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54, 353
to implement the provisions of this section and to establish minimum 354
energy efficiency standards for the types of new products set forth in 355
subsection (b) of this section. The regulations shall provide for the 356
following minimum energy efficiency standards: 357
(A) Commercial clothes washers shall meet the requirements shown 358
in Table P-3 of section 1605.3 of the California Code of Regulations, Title 359
20: Division 2, Chapter 4, Article 4; 360
(B) Commercial refrigerators and freezers shall meet the August 1, 361
2004, requirements shown in Table A-6 of said California regulation; 362
(C) Illuminated exit signs shall meet the version 2.0 product 363
specification of the "Energy Star Program Requirements for Exit Signs" 364
developed by the United States Environmental Protection Agency; 365
(D) Large packaged air-conditioning equipment having not more 366
than seven hundred sixty thousand BTUs per hour of capacity shall 367
meet a minimum energy efficiency ratio of 10.0 for units using both 368
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electric heat and air conditioning or units solely using electric air 369
conditioning, and 9.8 for units using both natural gas heat and electric 370
air conditioning; 371
(E) Large packaged air-conditioning equipment having not less than 372
seven hundred sixty-one thousand BTUs per hour of capacity shall meet 373
a minimum energy efficiency ratio of 9.7 for units using both electric 374
heat and air conditioning or units solely using electric air conditioning, 375
and 9.5 for units using both natural gas heat and electric air 376
conditioning; 377
(F) Low voltage dry-type distribution transformers shall meet or 378
exceed the energy efficiency values shown in Table 4-2 of the National 379
Electrical Manufacturers Association Standard TP-1-2002;] 380
(c) (1) Except as provided in subdivision (2) of this subsection or 381
subdivision (1) of subsection (d) of this section, on and after October 1, 382
2025, the following minimum energy-efficiency standards and any test 383
methods associated with such standards shall apply to new products: 384
[(G)] (A) Torchiere lighting fixtures shall not consume more than one 385
hundred ninety watts and shall not be capable of operating with lamps 386
that total more than one hundred ninety watts; 387
[(H) Traffic signal modules shall meet the product specification of the 388
"Energy Star Program Requirements for Traffic Signals" developed by 389
the United States Environmental Protection Agency that took effect in 390
February, 2001, except where the department, in consultation with the 391
Commissioner of Transportation, determines that such specification 392
would compromise safe signal operation; 393
(I) Unit heaters shall not have pilot lights and shall have either power 394
venting or an automatic flue damper; 395
(J) On or after January 1, 2009, residential furnaces and boilers 396
purchased by the state shall meet or exceed the following annual fuel 397
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utilization efficiency: (i) For gas and propane furnaces, ninety per cent 398
annual fuel utilization efficiency, (ii) for oil furnaces, eighty-three per 399
cent annual fuel utilization efficiency, (iii) for gas and propane hot water 400
boilers, eighty-four per cent annual fuel utilization efficiency, (iv) for oil-401
fired hot water boilers, eighty-four per cent annual fuel utilization 402
efficiency, (v) for gas and propane steam boilers, eighty-two per cent 403
annual fuel utilization efficiency, (vi) for oil-fired steam boilers, eighty-404
two per cent annual fuel utilization efficiency, and (vii) for furnaces with 405
furnace air handlers, an electricity ratio of not more than 2.0, except air 406
handlers for oil furnaces with a capacity of less than ninety-four 407
thousand BTUs per hour shall have an electricity ratio of 2.3 or less;] 408
[(K)] (B) [On or after January 1, 2010, metal] Metal halide lamp 409
fixtures designed to be operated with lamps rated greater than or equal 410
to one hundred fifty watts but less than or equal to five hundred watts 411
shall not contain a probe-start metal halide lamp ballast; 412
[(L) Single-voltage external AC to DC power supplies manufactured 413
on or after January 1, 2008, shall meet the energy efficiency standards of 414
table U-1 of section 1605.3 of the January 2006 California Code of 415
Regulations, Title 20, Division 2, Chapter 4, Article 4: Appliance 416
Efficiency Regulations. This standard applies to single voltage AC to DC 417
power supplies that are sold individually and to those that are sold as a 418
component of or in conjunction with another product. This standard 419
shall not apply to single-voltage external AC to DC power supplies sold 420
with products subject to certification by the United States Food and 421
Drug Administration. A single-voltage external AC to DC power supply 422
that is made available by a manufacturer directly to a consumer or to a 423
service or repair facility after and separate from the original sale of the 424
product requiring the power supply as a service part or spare part shall 425
not be required to meet the standards in said table U-1 until five years 426
after the effective dates indicated in the table;] 427
[(M)] (C) [On or after January 1, 2009, state] State regulated 428
incandescent reflector lamps shall be manufactured to meet the 429
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minimum average lamp efficacy requirements for federally regulated 430
incandescent reflector lamps contained in [42 USC 6295(i)(1)(A)] 42 USC 431
6295(i)(1)(B). Each lamp shall indicate the date of manufacture; 432
[(N) On or after January 1, 2009, bottle-type water dispensers, 433
commercial hot food holding cabinets, portable electric spas, walk-in 434
refrigerators and walk-in freezers shall meet the efficiency requirements 435
of section 1605.3 of the January 2006 California Code of Regulations, 436
Title 20, Division 2, Chapter 4, Article 4: Appliance Efficiency 437
Regulations. On or after January 1, 2010, residential pool pumps shall 438
meet said efficiency requirements; 439
(O) On or after January 1, 2009, pool heaters shall meet the efficiency 440
requirements of sections 1605.1 and 1605.3 of the January 2006 441
California Code of Regulations, Title 20, Division 2, Chapter 4, Article 4: 442
Appliance Efficiency Regulations; 443
(P) By January 1, 2014, compact audio players, digital versatile disc 444
players and digital versatile disc recorders shall meet the requirements 445
shown in Table V-1 of Section 1605.3 of the November 2009 amendments 446
to the California Code of Regulations, Title 20, Division 2, Chapter 4, 447
Article 4, unless the commissioner, in accordance with subparagraph (B) 448
of subdivision (3) of this subsection, determines that such standards are 449
unwarranted and may accept, reject or modify according to 450
subparagraph (A) of subdivision (3) of this subsection;] 451
[(Q)] (D) [On or after January 1, 2014, televisions] Televisions 452
manufactured on or after July 1, 2011, shall meet the requirements 453
shown in Table V-2 of Section 1605.3 of the November 2009 amendments 454
to the California Code of Regulations, Title 20, Division 2, Chapter 4, 455
Article 4; [, unless the commissioner, in accordance with subparagraph 456
(B) of subdivision (3) of this subsection, determines that such standards 457
are unwarranted and may accept, reject or modify according to 458
subparagraph (A) of subdivision (3) of this subsection;] and 459
[(R)] (E) In addition to the requirements of subparagraph [(Q)] (D) of 460
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this subdivision, televisions manufactured on or after January 1, 2014, 461
shall meet the efficiency requirements of Sections 1605.3(v)(3)(A), 462
1605.3(v)(3)(B) and 1605.3(v)(3)(C) of the November 2009 amendments 463
to the California Code of Regulations, Title 20, Division 2, Chapter 4, 464
Article 4. [, unless the commissioner, in accordance with subparagraph 465
(B) of subdivision (3) of this subsection, determines that such standards 466
are unwarranted and may accept, reject or modify according to 467
subparagraph (A) of subdivision (3) of this subsection.] 468
(2) On or after January 1, 2026, except as provided in subdivision (1) 469
of subsection (d) of this section, the following minimum energy-470
efficiency standards and test methods associated with such standards 471
shall apply to new products sold or leased, offered for sale or lease or 472
installed in the state: 473
(A) Commercial dishwashers included in the scope of the version 2.0 474
product specification of the "Energy Star Program Requirements for 475
Commercial Dishwashers" developed by the United States 476
Environmental Protection Agency shall meet the qualification criteria of 477
such specification; 478
(B) Commercial fryers included in the scope of the version 2.0 479
product specification of the "Energy Star Program Requirements for 480
Commercial Fryers" developed by the United States Environmental 481
Protection Agency shall meet the qualification criteria of such 482
specification; 483
(C) Commercial hot food holding cabinets shall meet the version 2.0 484
product specification of the "Energy Star Program Requirements for 485
Commercial Hot Food Holding Cabinets" developed by the United 486
States Environmental Protection Agency; 487
(D) Commercial ovens included in the scope of the version 2.2 488
product specification of the "Energy Star Program Requirements for 489
Commercial Ovens" developed by the United States Environmental 490
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Protection Agency shall meet the qualification criteria of such 491
specification; 492
(E) Commercial steam cookers shall meet the version 1.2 product 493
specification of the "Energy Star Program Requirements for Commercial 494
Steam Cookers" developed by the United States Environmental 495
Protection Agency; 496
(F) Computers and computer monitors shall meet the requirements 497
of subsection (v) of section 1605.3 of the California Code of Regulations, 498
Title 20, Division 2, Chapter 4, Article 4, and compliance with such 499
requirements shall be measured in accordance with the test methods 500
prescribed in subsection (v) of section 1604 of said California regulation. 501
Any regulations adopted by the commissioner pursuant to this section 502
shall define the terms "computer" and "computer monitor" to have the 503
same meanings provided in subsection (v) of section 1602 of the 504
California Code of Regulations, Title 20, Division 2, Chapter 4, Article 4, 505
and subsection (a) of this section, provided the commissioner may 506
amend such regulations to provide that the definitions of the terms 507
"computer" and "computer monitor" and the minimum efficiency 508
standards for computers and computer monitors conform to 509
subsequently adopted versions of subsection (v) of section 1605.3 of the 510
California Code of Regulations, Title 20, Division 2, Chapter 4, Article 4, 511
and subsection (v) of section 1602 of the California Code of Regulations, 512
Title 20, Division 2, Chapter 4, Article 4, as applicable; 513
(G) Faucets, except metering faucets, shall meet the standards in this 514
subparagraph when tested in accordance with the "Uniform Test 515
Method for Measuring the Water Consumption of Faucets and 516
Showerheads" set forth in 10 CFR 430, Subpart B, Appendix S. Lavatory 517
faucets and their replacement aerators shall not exceed a maximum flow 518
rate of 1.5 gallons per minute at sixty pounds per square inch. Kitchen 519
faucets and their replacement aerators shall not exceed a maximum flow 520
rate of 1.8 gallons per minute at sixty pounds per square inch, with 521
optional temporary flow of 2.2 gallons per minute, provided they 522
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default to a maximum flow rate of 1.8 gallons per minute at sixty pounds 523
per square inch after each use. Public lavatory faucets and their 524
replacement aerators shall not exceed a maximum flow rate of 0.5 525
gallons per minute at sixty pounds per square inch; 526
(H) Gas fireplaces shall comply with the following requirements: 527
(i) Gas fireplaces shall be capable of automatically extinguishing any 528
pilot flame when the main gas burner flame is extinguished or shall 529
prevent any ignition source for the main gas burner flame from 530
operating continuously for more than seven days from last use of the 531
main burner; and 532
(ii) Heating gas fireplaces shall have a fireplace efficiency greater than 533
or equal to fifty per cent when tested in accordance with Canadian 534
Standards Association P.4.1-15, "Testing Method for Measuring Annual 535
Fireplace Efficiency", as amended from time to time; 536
(I) High-color rendering index, cold temperature and impact-537
resistant fluorescent lamps shall meet the minimum efficacy 538
requirements contained in 10 CFR 430.32(n)(4), as in effect on January 1, 539
2021, as measured in accordance with the "Uniform Test Method for 540
Measuring Average Lamp Efficacy (LE), Color Rendering Index (CRI), 541
and Correlated Color Temperature (CCT) of Electric Lamps" set forth in 542
10 CFR 430, Subpart B, Appendix R, as in effect on January 1, 2022; 543
(J) Portable electric spas shall meet the requirements of 544
ANSI/APSP/ICC-14-2019, "American National Standard for Portable 545
Electric Spa Energy Efficiency"; 546
(K) In-line residential ventilating fans shall have a fan motor efficacy 547
of not less than 2.8 cubic feet per minute per watt. All other residential 548
ventilating fans shall have a fan motor efficacy of not less than 1.4 cubic 549
feet per minute per watt for airflows less than ninety cubic feet per 550
minute and not less than 2.8 cubic feet per minute per watt for other 551
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airflows when tested in accordance with Home Ventilation Institute 552
Publication 916, "HVI Airflow Test Procedure"; 553
(L) Showerheads shall not exceed a maximum flow rate of 2.0 gallons 554
per minute at eighty pounds per square inch when tested in accordance 555
with the "Uniform Test Method for Measuring the Water Consumption 556
of Faucets and Showerheads" set forth in 10 CFR 430, Subpart B, 557
Appendix S; and 558
(M) Water coolers included in the scope of the version 2.0 product 559
specification of the "Energy Star Program Requirements for Water 560
Coolers" developed by the United States Environmental Protection 561
Agency shall have an on mode with no water draw and energy 562
consumption less than or equal to the following values as measured in 563
accordance with the test requirements of such specification: (i) 0.16 564
kilowatt-hour per day for cold-only water coolers and cook and cold 565
unit water coolers; (ii) 0.87 of one kilowatt-hour per day for storage-type 566
hot and cold unit water coolers; and (iii) 0.18 of one kilowatt-hour per 567
day for on demand hot and cold unit water coolers. 568
[(2) Such] (d) (1) Notwithstanding the provisions of section 29-252, 569
such efficiency standards, where in conflict with the State Building 570
Code, shall take precedence over the standards contained in the State 571
Building Code. Not later than [July 1, 2007] October 1, 2026, and 572
biennially thereafter, the Commissioner of Energy and Environmental 573
Protection shall review and increase the level of such efficiency 574
standards by adopting regulations in accordance with the provisions of 575
chapter 54 upon a determination that increased efficiency standards 576
would serve to promote energy conservation in the state and would be 577
cost-effective for consumers who purchase and use such new products, 578
provided no such increased efficiency standards shall become effective 579
[within] not earlier than one year [following] after the adoption of any 580
amended regulations providing for such increased efficiency standards. 581
[(3) (A)] (2) If any of the efficiency standards issued or approved for 582
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publication by the Office of the United States Secretary of Energy as of 583
December 31, 2024, pursuant to the Energy Policy and Conservation 584
Act, 10 Code of Federal Regulation Parts 430-431, are withdrawn, 585
repealed or otherwise voided, new products shall meet or exceed the 586
minimum efficiency level permitted for products previously subject to 587
federal efficiency standards as of said date. This subdivision shall not 588
apply to any federal efficiency standard set aside by a court upon the 589
petition of a person who will be adversely affected, as provided in 590
section 6306(b) of title 42 of the United States Code. 591
(3) The Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection 592
[shall] may adopt regulations, or amend regulations previously adopted 593
pursuant to this section, in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54, 594
to designate additional products to be subject to the provisions of this 595
section and to establish efficiency or greenhouse gas emissions 596
standards for such products upon a determination that such [efficiency] 597
standards: [(i) would] (A) Would (i) serve to promote energy 598
conservation in the state, (ii) [would] lower greenhouse gas emissions, 599
and (iii) be cost-effective for consumers who purchase and use such new 600
products; [,] and [(iii)] (B) would not impose an unreasonable burden on 601
[Connecticut] businesses in the state. Such standards may include, but 602
need not be limited to, requirements concerning the ability of a product 603
to interface with a local electric utility's demand response program. 604
(4) The Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection may 605
adopt regulations, in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54, to 606
designate additional products that shall be subject to the provisions of 607
this section for any product that energy standards were issued for or 608
approved for publication on or before January 1, 2018, pursuant to the 609
Energy Policy and Conservation Act, 42 USC 6201 et seq., by the United 610
States Department of Energy and that were subsequently withdrawn, 611
repealed or otherwise voided. For such products, the minimum energy-612
efficiency level permitted shall be such previously applicable federal 613
energy conservation standards, as such standards existed on January 1, 614
2018. This subdivision shall not apply to any federal energy 615
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conservation standard set aside by a court upon the petition of a person 616
who will be adversely affected, as provided in 42 USC 6306(b). 617
[(B) The Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection, in 618
consultation with the Multi-State Appliance Standards Collaborative, 619
shall identify additional appliance and equipment efficiency standards. 620
The commissioner shall review all California standards and may review 621
standards from other states in such collaborative. The commissioner 622
shall issue notice of such review in the Connecticut Law Journal, allow 623
for public comment and may hold a public hearing within six months of 624
adoption of an efficiency standard by a cooperative member state 625
regarding a product for which no equivalent Connecticut or federal 626
standard currently exists. The commissioner shall adopt regulations in 627
accordance with the provisions of chapter 54 adopting such efficiency 628
standard unless the commissioner makes a specific finding that such 629
standard does not meet the criteria in subparagraph (A) of this 630
subdivision. 631
(e) On or after July 1, 2006, except for commercial clothes washers, for 632
which the date shall be July 1, 2007, commercial refrigerators and 633
freezers, for which the date shall be July 1, 2008, and large packaged air-634
conditioning equipment, for which the date shall be July 1, 2009, no new 635
product of a type set forth in subsection (b) of this section or designated 636
by the Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection may be 637
sold, offered for sale, or installed in the state unless the energy efficiency 638
of the new product meets or exceeds the efficiency standards set forth 639
in such regulations adopted pursuant to subsection (d) of this section. 640
(f) The Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection shall 641
adopt procedures for testing the energy efficiency of the new products 642
set forth in subsection (b) of this section or designated by the 643
commissioner if such procedures are not provided for in the State 644
Building Code. The commissioner shall use United States Department 645
of Energy approved test methods, or in the absence of such test 646
methods, other appropriate nationally recognized test methods. The 647
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manufacturers of such products shall cause samples of such products to 648
be tested in accordance with the test procedures adopted pursuant to 649
this subsection or those specified in the State Building Code. 650
(g) Manufacturers of any new products set forth in subsection (b) of 651
this section for which (1) no efficiency standards exist in California, and 652
(2) the Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection adopts 653
efficiency standards, shall certify to the commissioner that such 654
products are in compliance with the provisions of this section, except 655
that certification is not required for single voltage external AC to DC 656
power supplies and walk-in refrigerators and walk-in freezers. All 657
single voltage external AC to DC power supplies shall be labeled as 658
described in the January 2006 California Code of Regulations, Title 20, 659
Section 1607(9). The commissioner shall promulgate regulations 660
governing the certification of such products.] 661
(e) Manufacturers of products subject to the provisions of this section 662
shall submit documentation, on a form prescribed by the commissioner, 663
concerning the certification of such products by the California Energy 664
Commission, the United States Environmental Protection Agency's 665
Water Sense program or a successor program that promotes water 666
efficiency, the federal Energy Star program or a successor program that 667
promotes energy efficiency, or a third-party certification body 668
designated by the commissioner, as applicable, for compliance with this 669
section or compliance with identical standards adopted by another 670
jurisdiction. The commissioner shall publish an annual list of [any 671
products set forth in subsection (b) of this section on the department's 672
Internet web site that designates which such products are certified in 673
California and which such products not certified in California have 674
demonstrated compliance with efficiency standards adopted by the 675
commissioner pursuant to subparagraph (B) of subdivision (3) of 676
subsection (d) of this section] such products. 677
(f) The commissioner may periodically inspect or cause inspections 678
to be made, either in person or online, of distributors and retailers of 679
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new products subject to the provisions of this section. The commissioner 680
may establish a process to anonymously report potential violations of 681
this section through the department's Internet web site. 682
[(h)] (g) The Attorney General may institute proceedings to enforce 683
the provisions of this section. Any person who violates any provision of 684
this section shall be subject to a civil penalty of not more than two 685
hundred fifty dollars. Each violation of this section shall constitute a 686
separate offense, and each day that such violation continues shall 687
constitute a separate offense. 688
Sec. 2. Subsection (b) of section 21a-86a of the general statutes is 689
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 690
1, 2025): 691
(b) The maximum water use allowed in the regulations adopted 692
under subsection (a) of this section for [showerheads,] urinals [, faucets 693
and replacement aerators] manufactured or sold on or after October 1, 694
1990, shall be [as follows: For showerheads, 2.5 gallons per minute; for 695
urinals,] 1.0 gallons per flush. [; for bathroom sinks, lavatory and kitchen 696
faucets and replacement aerators, 2.5 gallons per minute, except that 697
lavatories in restrooms of public facilities shall be equipped with outlet 698
devices which limit the flow rate to a maximum of 0.5 gallons per 699
minute.] The maximum water use allowed in the regulations adopted 700
under subsection (a) of this section for tank-type toilets, flushometer-701
valve toilets, flushometer-tank toilets and electromechanical hydraulic 702
toilets manufactured or sold on or after January 1, 1992, shall be 1.6 703
gallons per flush, unless and until equivalent standards for similar types 704
of toilets are adopted by the American National Standards Institute, Inc. 705
Sec. 3. Section 21a-86b of the general statutes is repealed and the 706
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2025): 707
No person may sell, offer for sale or install any new [showerhead,] 708
urinal [, faucet or replacement aerator on and after October 1, 1990,] or 709
any new tank-type toilet, flushometer-valve toilet, flushometer-tank 710
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toilet or electromechanical hydraulic toilet on and after January 1, 1992, 711
unless such [showerhead,] urinal, [faucet, replacement aerator,] tank-712
type toilet, flushometer-valve toilet, flushometer-tank toilet or 713
electromechanical hydraulic toilet meets or exceeds the efficiency 714
standards set forth in regulations adopted by the Commissioner of 715
Consumer Protection pursuant to subsection (a) of section 21a-86a, or is 716
authorized under the regulations adopted by the commissioner 717
pursuant to subsection (d) of said section. 718
Sec. 4. (NEW) (Effective from passage) Not later than January 1, 2025, 719
the Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection, in 720
collaboration with the Commissioner of Consumer Protection, shall 721
study the current energy-efficiency standards set forth in section 16a-48 722
of the general statutes, as amended by this act, and the current water 723
efficiency standards set forth in section 21a-86a of the general statutes, 724
as amended by this act, to determine the need to update said standards 725
and the addition or deletion of products to or from the standards. In its 726
study, the commissioners shall evaluate topics including, but not 727
limited to (1) an identification of any standards that have been federally 728
preempted; (2) whether the current statutory structure dividing electric 729
and water-efficiency standards should be preserved or revised; and (3) 730
an identification of additional products to include within the standards, 731
the relevant standard for the additional products and an evaluation of 732
potential cost savings of the products for consumers. Not later than 733
January 1, 2026, the Commissioner of Environmental Protection, in 734
accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a of the general statutes, 735
shall submit a report on the results of the study to the joint standing 736
committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters 737
relating to the environment and consumer protection. 738
Sec. 5. (NEW) (Effective from passage) Not later than January 1, 2026, 739
the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority shall initiate an uncontested 740
proceeding regarding the future of natural gas use in the state in relation 741
to the provisions of section 22a-200a of the general statutes. Such 742
proceeding shall include, but need not be limited to, the consideration 743
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and implementation of beneficial electrification measures such as 744
geothermal systems and heat pumps and the integration of natural gas 745
and electric company joint planning processes. Upon completion of such 746
uncontested proceeding, said authority shall submit a report, in 747
accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a of the general statutes, 748
to the joint standing committees of the General Assembly having 749
cognizance of matters relating to the environment and energy and 750
technology on any recommendations for legislative changes necessary 751
to implement the findings of such proceeding. 752
Sec. 6. (NEW) (Effective from passage) (a) For the purposes of this 753
section: 754
(1) "Utility-scale renewable thermal energy network" means 755
distribution infrastructure (A) established for the purpose of providing 756
thermal energy for space heating and cooling, domestic hot water 757
production, refrigeration, thermal energy storage or commercial and 758
industrial processes requiring heating or cooling, and (B) implemented 759
through interconnections between one or more renewable thermal 760
energy resources, which may be owned by multiple parties, and 761
between these resources and heat pumps in multiple buildings owned 762
by multiple parties; and 763
(2) "Renewable thermal energy" means (A) ambient heating or 764
cooling provided, absorbed or stored by geothermal well boreholes or 765
other noncombusting, non-fossil-fuel-consuming, nonnuclear thermal 766
resources, or (B) thermal energy otherwise lost to the atmosphere or 767
other environmental compartment as waste heat. 768
(b) Notwithstanding the provisions of title 16 of the general statutes, 769
not later than twelve months after the effective date of this section, the 770
Public Utilities Regulatory Authority shall initiate a proceeding to 771
establish a program for development of utility-scale renewable thermal 772
energy networks by gas companies, as defined in section 16-1 of the 773
general statutes. In establishing said program, the authority shall 774
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develop parameters for such networks, procedures or filing proposals 775
for such networks, and a standardized data collection system enabling 776
the authority and the public to track the status and performance of 777
utility-scale renewable thermal energy networks developed pursuant to 778
this section. 779
(c) The authority shall structure the utility-scale renewable thermal 780
energy network program in the best interest of ratepayers of public 781
service companies, as defined in section 16-1 of the general statutes. For 782
purposes of this section, a determination of the best interest of 783
ratepayers shall be based on an analysis of the reasonableness of the 784
size, scope, scale and character of the project and related budget and the 785
costs and benefits of the project, including, but not limited to: (1) 786
Avoided long-term energy and infrastructure investments in extending 787
or maintaining gas infrastructure; (2) the anticipated contribution of 788
such projects to alleviation of seasonal strains on the state's natural gas 789
supply and electric distribution system; (3) consumer protections and 790
benefits for end users of the project; (4) adherence to best practices 791
emerging from thermal energy network programs and project designs 792
developed in other states or elsewhere in the state; (5) potential for 793
accrual of capital and operational cost savings via interconnection with 794
other existing or future thermal energy networks; (6) improvements in 795
air quality in the buildings and neighborhood served by the project; and 796
(7) reductions in greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to achieving 797
the emissions reductions set forth in section 22a-200a of the general 798
statutes. The authority may approve a utility-scale renewable thermal 799
energy network proposal that meets the parameters established under 800
the program. 801
(d) The authority shall create a pilot component of the utility-scale 802
renewable thermal energy network program that requires each gas 803
company to file with the authority, for its review and approval, 804
proposals for not less than one and not more than two pilot projects for 805
the development of utility-scale renewable thermal energy networks 806
that meet the program parameters established in subsection (c) of this 807
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section. The authority shall review a proposal for a pilot project based 808
on the program parameters and on the basis of the project's ability to 809
provide insights into the potential for scaling up future deployment of 810
thermal energy networks in Connecticut, for improving the 811
performance of these networks and for bringing down the cost of 812
broader deployment of these networks. 813
(e) The authority shall require projects submitted to the utility-scale 814
renewable thermal energy network program for approval to include a 815
proposed rate structure for thermal energy services supplied to network 816
end users as well as consumer-protection plans for end users. The 817
authority may approve the proposed rate structure if the projected 818
heating and cooling costs for end users is not greater than the heating 819
and cooling costs the end users would be projected to incur if had they 820
not participated. 821
(f) The authority shall approve the recovery of prudent costs incurred 822
by a gas company for the development and construction of projects 823
approved pursuant to the utility-scale renewable thermal energy 824
program through a nonbypassable and fully reconciling component of 825
gas rates for all customers of the gas company. 826
(g) A gas company may meet its obligation under subsection (b) of 827
section 16-20 of the general statutes through a project approved by the 828
authority pursuant to this section. 829
(h) The authority shall ensure transparency and validity of the 830
outcomes of the projects developed pursuant to this section through 831
third-party evaluation of the data the authority collects through its 832
standardized data collection requirement. 833
(i) Nothing in this section shall prohibit a municipality from 834
developing, owning or maintaining a utility-scale renewable thermal 835
energy network. 836
(j) As part of the utility-scale renewable thermal energy network 837
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program, the authority shall establish a working group to study thermal 838
energy networks, comprising representatives of the staffs of the 839
authority, the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, the 840
Connecticut Green Bank, the gas and electric companies and 841
nongovernmental environmental organizations. 842
(k) As part of the utility-scale renewable thermal energy network 843
program, the authority shall, through the working group established 844
under subsection (j) of this section, undertake a study or studies 845
assessing the potential breadth of deployment of thermal energy 846
networks in the state. Said study shall address factors, including, but not 847
limited to: (1) Technical feasibility; (2) economic feasibility, taking into 848
account the potential for (A) reduction in energy costs of the customer 849
that is the off-taker of the system; (B) reduction in network capital costs 850
as the scale of deployments increases; (C) reduction in capital and 851
operating costs as thermal energy networks are interconnected; (D) 852
avoided cost of expanding and maintaining portions of the gas-853
distribution system; (E) minimization of the cost of expanding the 854
electricity-distribution system to facilitate increasing electrification of 855
thermal loads; (F) reduction in per-kilowatt-hour cost of supplying 856
electricity as more electricity is sold; (G) state and federal financial 857
incentives available; (H) employing and advancing the skills of gas-858
utility workers; (I) providing the gas utility companies a business model 859
not dependent on continued use of combustion of fossil fuels; and (J) 860
improvement of air quality; (3) deployment strategies to maximize the 861
scope, minimize the cost and equitably allocate the cost of thermal 862
energy networks, including systematic identification of significant 863
sources of waste heat across the state; (4) considerations regarding 864
deployment in (A) low and moderate-income communities; (B) 865
environmental-justice communities; (C) new residential and 866
commercial construction versus retrofitting existing residential and 867
commercial buildings; (D) urban versus rural communities; (E) areas 868
with existing gas service versus areas without; and (F) ownership and 869
business models; and (5) appropriate parameters for broader 870
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deployment in the near and medium term, including site selection, 871
network design, interactions with and impacts on the gas and electricity 872
distribution systems, ratepayer protections, billing models, consumer 873
protections, data collection, community engagement and deployment in 874
low and moderate-income communities and environmental justice 875
communities. 876
Sec. 7. (NEW) (Effective from passage) (a) For the purposes of this 877
section: 878
(1) "Renewable thermal energy network" means distribution 879
infrastructure (A) established for the purpose of providing thermal 880
energy for space heating and cooling, domestic hot water production, 881
refrigeration, thermal energy storage or commercial and industrial 882
processes requiring heating or cooling, and (B) implemented through 883
interconnections between one or more renewable thermal energy 884
resources, which may be owned by multiple parties, and between these 885
resources and heat pumps in multiple buildings owned by multiple 886
parties; and 887
(2) "Renewable thermal energy" means (A) ambient heating or 888
cooling provided, absorbed or stored by geothermal well boreholes or 889
other noncombusting, non-fossil-fuel-consuming, nonnuclear thermal 890
resources, or (B) thermal energy otherwise lost to the atmosphere or 891
other environmental compartment as waste heat. 892
(b) Notwithstanding the provisions of title 16 of the general statutes, 893
each gas company, as defined in section 16-1 of the general statutes, shall 894
develop an incentive program for renewable thermal energy networks 895
to be owned by municipalities, a municipal utility, as defined in section 896
12-265 of the general statutes, a municipal electric energy cooperative, 897
as defined in section 7-233b of the general statutes, or an entity that has 898
a contractual obligation to a municipality to construct, operate and 899
maintain a renewable thermal network for the purpose of reducing 900
natural gas and electric demand in the state. Such program shall provide 901
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an incentive payment to said entities to connect end use customers to 902
the renewable thermal energy network. Such incentive payment shall be 903
based on the projected natural gas and electric demand reduction of 904
contractually obligated demand for a period of twenty years. The 905
projected natural gas and electric demand reduction shall be based on 906
the expected gas or electric demand that the renewable thermal loop is 907
displacing. 908
(c) A gas company shall design its renewable thermal energy network 909
program in the best interest of ratepayers of public service companies, 910
as defined in section 16-1 of the general statutes, and submit its program 911
design for review and approval by the Public Utilities Regulatory 912
Authority. For purposes of this section, a determination of the best 913
interest of ratepayers shall be based on an analysis of the reasonableness 914
of the size, scope, scale and character of the project and related budget 915
and the costs and benefits of the project, including, but not limited to: 916
(1) Avoided long-term energy and infrastructure investments in 917
extending or maintaining gas infrastructure; (2) the anticipated 918
contribution of such projects to the alleviation of seasonal strains on the 919
state's natural gas supply and electric distribution system; (3) consumer 920
protections and benefits for end users of the project; (4) adherence to 921
best practices emerging from thermal energy network programs and 922
project designs developed in other states or elsewhere in the state; (5) 923
potential for accrual of capital and operational cost savings via 924
interconnection with other existing or future thermal energy networks; 925
(6) improvements in air quality in the buildings and neighborhood 926
served by the project; and (7) reductions in greenhouse gas emissions 927
that contribute to achieving the emissions reductions set forth in section 928
22a-200a of the general statutes. 929
(d) The Public Utilities Regulatory Authority shall ensure that the 930
revenues required to fund such incentive payments made pursuant to 931
this section are provided through a nonbypassable and fully reconciling 932
component of gas rates for all customers of the gas company, which 933
shall not exceed more than ____ million dollars in total for the program 934
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established under this section, provided that such revenues exceeding 935
two million dollars required to fund such incentive payments shall be 936
paid over a period of not less than two years. Such revenues shall only 937
be collected from the gas customers of the company in whose service 938
area are such renewable thermal energy networks or, as determined by 939
the authority, the company in whose service area the renewable thermal 940
energy network would be but for the existence of a municipal utility or 941
municipal energy cooperative. 942
(e) The owners of the renewable thermal energy network shall ensure 943
transparency and validity of the outcomes of the networks developed 944
pursuant to this section through submitting data to track the status and 945
performance of said network, which data shall be submitted to the 946
authority. 947
Sec. 8. Section 16a-3j of the general statutes is repealed and the 948
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2025): 949
(a) In order to secure cost-effective resources to provide more reliable 950
electric or gas service for the benefit of the state's electric ratepayers and 951
to meet the state's energy and environmental goals and policies 952
established in the Integrated Resources Plan, pursuant to section 16a-3a, 953
and the Comprehensive Energy Strategy, pursuant to section 16a-3d, the 954
Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection, in consultation 955
with the procurement manager identified in subsection (l) of section 16-956
2, the Office of Consumer Counsel and the Attorney General, may, in 957
coordination with other states in the control area of the regional 958
independent system operator, as defined in section 16-1, or on behalf of 959
[Connecticut] the state alone, issue multiple solicitations for long-term 960
contracts from providers of resources described in subsections (b), (c) 961
and (d) of this section. 962
(b) In any solicitation for resources to reduce electric or gas demand 963
and improve resiliency and electric or gas grid reliability in the state, 964
issued pursuant to this subsection, the commissioner shall seek 965
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proposals for (1) passive demand response measures, including, but not 966
limited to, energy efficiency, load management, and the state's 967
conservation and load management programs, pursuant to section 16-968
245m; [, that are capable, either singly or through aggregation, of 969
reducing electric demand by one megawatt or more;] and (2) Class I 970
renewable energy sources and Class III sources, as defined in section 16-971
1, provided any such project proposal is for a facility that has a 972
nameplate capacity rating of more than two megawatts and less than 973
twenty megawatts. The commissioner may also seek proposals for 974
energy storage systems, as defined in section 16-1, that are capable of 975
storing up to twenty megawatts of energy. Proposals pursuant to this 976
subsection shall not have a contract term exceeding twenty years. Each 977
electric distribution company, as defined in section 16-1, and gas 978
company, as defined in section 16-1, shall, in consultation with the 979
Energy Conservation Management Board established pursuant to 980
section 16-245m, assess whether the submission of a proposal for 981
passive and active demand response measures is feasible pursuant to 982
any solicitation issued pursuant to subdivision (1) of this subsection, 983
provided such proposal only includes electric or gas demand reductions 984
that are in addition to existing and projected demand reductions 985
obtained through the conservation and load management programs. 986
(c) In any solicitation issued pursuant to this subsection, the 987
commissioner shall seek proposals from (1) Class I renewable energy 988
sources, as defined in section 16-1, having a nameplate capacity rating 989
of twenty megawatts or more, and any associated transmission; and (2) 990
verifiable large-scale hydropower, as defined in section 16-1, and any 991
associated transmission. The commissioner may also seek proposals for 992
energy storage systems, as defined in section 16-1, having a nameplate 993
capacity rating of twenty megawatts or more. Proposals under this 994
subsection shall not have a contract term exceeding twenty years. In 995
soliciting Class I renewable energy sources, and any associated 996
transmission, pursuant to this subsection, the commissioner may, for the 997
purpose of balancing such Class I energy deliveries and improving the 998
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economic viability of such proposals, also seek proposals for electricity 999
and capacity from Class II renewable energy sources, as defined in 1000
section 16-1, and existing hydropower resources other than those 1001
described under section 16-1, provided such resources are 1002
interconnected to such associated transmission and are located in the 1003
control area of the regional independent system operator or imported 1004
into the control area of the regional independent system operator from 1005
resources located in an adjacent regional independent system operator's 1006
control area. 1007
(d) In any solicitation for natural gas resources issued pursuant to this 1008
subsection, the commissioner shall seek proposals for (1) interstate 1009
natural gas transportation capacity, (2) liquefied natural gas, (3) 1010
liquefied natural gas storage, and (4) natural gas storage, or a 1011
combination of any such resources, provided such proposals provide 1012
incremental capacity, gas, or storage that has a firm delivery capability 1013
to transport natural gas to natural gas-fired generating facilities located 1014
in the control area of the regional independent system operator. 1015
Proposals under this subsection shall not have a contract term exceeding 1016
a period of twenty years. 1017
(e) The Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection, in 1018
consultation with the procurement manager identified in subsection (l) 1019
of section 16-2, the Office of Consumer Counsel and the Attorney 1020
General, shall evaluate project proposals received under any solicitation 1021
issued pursuant to subsection (b), (c) or (d) of this section, based on 1022
factors including, but not limited to, (1) improvements to the reliability 1023
of the electric system, including during winter peak demand; (2) 1024
whether the benefits of the proposal outweigh the costs to ratepayers; 1025
(3) fuel diversity; (4) the extent to which the proposal contributes to 1026
meeting the requirements to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and 1027
improve air quality in accordance with sections 16-245a, 22a-174 [,] and 1028
22a-200a; (5) whether the proposal is in the best interest of ratepayers; 1029
and (6) whether the proposal is aligned with the policy goals outlined 1030
in the Integrated Resources Plan, pursuant to section 16a-3a, and the 1031
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Comprehensive Energy Strategy, pursuant to section 16a-3d, including, 1032
but not limited to, environmental impacts. In conducting such 1033
evaluation, the commissioner may also consider the extent to which 1034
project proposals provide economic benefits for the state. In evaluating 1035
project proposals received under any solicitation issued pursuant to 1036
subsection (b), (c) or (d) of this section, the commissioner shall compare 1037
the costs and benefits of such proposals relative to the expected or actual 1038
costs and benefits of other resources eligible to respond to the other 1039
procurements authorized pursuant to this section. 1040
(f) The commissioner may hire consultants with expertise in 1041
quantitative modeling of electric and gas markets, and physical gas and 1042
electric system modeling, as applicable, to assist in implementing this 1043
section, including, but not limited to, the evaluation of proposals 1044
submitted pursuant to this section. All reasonable costs, not exceeding 1045
one million five hundred thousand dollars, associated with the 1046
commissioner's solicitation and review of proposals pursuant to this 1047
section shall be recoverable through the nonbypassable federally 1048
mandated congestion charge, as defined in subsection (a) of section 16-1049
1. Such costs shall be recoverable even if the commissioner does not 1050
select any proposals pursuant to solicitations issued pursuant to this 1051
section. 1052
(g) If the commissioner finds proposals received pursuant to this 1053
section to be in the best interest of [electric] ratepayers, in accordance 1054
with the provisions of subsection (e) of this section, the commissioner 1055
may select any such proposal or proposals, provided the total capacity 1056
of the resources selected under all solicitations issued pursuant to this 1057
section in the aggregate do not exceed three hundred seventy-five 1058
million cubic feet per day of natural gas capacity, or the equivalent 1059
megawatts of electricity, electric demand reduction or combination 1060
thereof. Any proposals selected pursuant to subsections (b) and (c) of 1061
this section shall not, in the aggregate, exceed ten per cent of the load 1062
distributed by the state's electric distribution companies or ten per cent 1063
of the load distributed by the state's gas companies. The commissioner 1064
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may, on behalf of all customers of electric distribution companies, direct 1065
the electric distribution companies to enter into long-term contracts for 1066
active or passive demand response measures that result in electric 1067
savings, electricity time-of-use shifts, electricity, electric capacity, 1068
environmental attributes, energy storage, interstate natural gas 1069
transportation capacity, liquefied natural gas, liquefied natural gas 1070
storage, and natural gas storage, or any combination thereof, from 1071
proposals submitted pursuant to this section, provided the benefits of 1072
such contracts to customers of electric distribution companies outweigh 1073
the costs to such companies' customers. The commissioner may, on 1074
behalf of the customers of gas companies, direct the gas companies to 1075
enter into long-term contracts for active or passive demand response 1076
measures that result in gas savings or time-of-use shifts from proposals 1077
submitted pursuant to this section, provided the benefits of such 1078
contracts to customers of gas companies outweigh the costs to such 1079
companies' customers. 1080
(h) Any agreement entered into pursuant to this section shall be 1081
subject to review and approval by the Public Utilities Regulatory 1082
Authority. The electric distribution company or gas company shall file 1083
an application for the approval of any such agreement with the 1084
authority. The authority shall approve such agreement if it is cost 1085
effective and in the best interest of electric or gas ratepayers. The 1086
authority shall issue a decision not later than ninety days after such 1087
filing. If the authority does not issue a decision within ninety days after 1088
such filing, the agreement shall be deemed approved. Where an electric 1089
distribution company or gas company both apply for recovery of net 1090
costs of the same such agreement, the authority shall determine which 1091
net costs are attributable to each company. The net costs of any such 1092
agreement, including costs incurred by the electric distribution 1093
company or gas company under the agreement and reasonable costs 1094
incurred by the electric distribution company in connection with the 1095
agreement, shall be recovered on a timely basis through a fully 1096
reconciling component of electric rates or gas rates for all customers of 1097
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the electric distribution company or gas company. Any net revenues 1098
from the sale of products purchased in accordance with long-term 1099
contracts entered into pursuant to this section shall be credited to 1100
customers through the same fully reconciling rate component for all 1101
customers of the contracting electric distribution company. For any 1102
contract for interstate natural gas transportation capacity, liquefied 1103
natural gas, liquefied natural gas storage or natural gas storage entered 1104
into pursuant to this section, the electric distribution company may 1105
contract with a gas supply manager to sell such interstate natural gas 1106
transportation capacity, liquefied natural gas, liquefied natural gas 1107
storage or natural gas storage, or a combination thereof, into the 1108
wholesale markets at the best available price in a manner that meets all 1109
applicable requirements pursuant to all applicable regulations of the 1110
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. 1111
(i) Certificates issued by the New England Power Pool Generation 1112
Information System for any Class I renewable energy source or Class III 1113
source procured by an electric distribution company pursuant to this 1114
section may be: (1) Sold into the New England Power Pool Generation 1115
Information System renewable energy credit market to be used by any 1116
electric supplier or electric distribution company to meet the 1117
requirements of section 16-245a, so long as the revenues from such sale 1118
are credited to electric distribution company customers as described in 1119
this subsection; or (2) retained by the electric distribution company to 1120
meet the requirements of section 16-245a. In considering whether to sell 1121
or retain such certificates the company shall select the option that is in 1122
the best interest of such company's ratepayers. 1123
Sec. 9. (NEW) (Effective October 1, 2025) (a) The Commissioner of 1124
Energy and Environmental Protection shall develop a plan for the 1125
installation of efficient heat pumps for affordable heating and cooling 1126
systems in the state. 1127
(b) Such plan shall provide for the availability of affordable heat 1128
pump options, with a focus on heat pump applications that have the 1129
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greatest potential benefits, including, but not limited to, lowering 1130
consumers' energy costs, reducing impacts to the electric grid and 1131
improving building resilience, including, but not limited to, (1) 1132
residences in environmental justice communities and long-term care 1133
facilities where not less than eighty per cent of such residents are 1134
Medicaid recipients in good financial standing with the state, (2) access 1135
to energy-efficient affordable air conditioning for residents experiencing 1136
high energy bills and health risks during heat waves, (3) increased 1137
resilience during extreme heat events for homes and businesses, (4) 1138
improved flood resilience for homes and businesses by enabling home 1139
heating systems to be located above ground, and (5) low or no interest 1140
loans to replace heating, ventilation and air conditioning equipment to 1141
residences impacted by extreme weather events. Such plan shall 1142
describe how the state could best utilize any available or future grant or 1143
loan funding. Not later than January 1, 2027, the commissioner shall 1144
submit a report, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a of the 1145
general statutes, to the joint standing committees of the General 1146
Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to the environment and 1147
energy on the status of such plan and any recommendations for 1148
expanding or revising such plan. 1149
Sec. 10. (Effective from passage) Not later than January 15, 2026, the 1150
chairperson of the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority shall submit, in 1151
accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a of the general statutes, 1152
the results of a study to develop a solar canopy strategic plan and 1153
program design to the joint standing committee of the General 1154
Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to energy and 1155
technology. The plan shall identify opportunities for solar canopies in 1156
the state and shall prioritize the development of solar canopies in 1157
environmental justice communities, as defined in section 22a-20a of the 1158
general statutes. The plan shall include an examination of different ways 1159
to promote solar canopies, including at schools, government buildings 1160
and parking lots, and shall include recommendations for policies, 1161
programs or regulations to promote the construction of solar canopies 1162
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in the state, consistent with the greenhouse gas reduction goals 1163
established in section 22a-200a of the general statutes. 1164
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
sections:
Section 1 October 1, 2025 16a-48
Sec. 2 October 1, 2025 21a-86a(b)
Sec. 3 October 1, 2025 21a-86b
Sec. 4 from passage New section
Sec. 5 from passage New section
Sec. 6 from passage New section
Sec. 7 from passage New section
Sec. 8 October 1, 2025 16a-3j
Sec. 9 October 1, 2025 New section
Sec. 10 from passage New section
Statement of Purpose:
To (1) amend certain energy and water efficiency standards, (2) require
a study of certain energy and water efficiency standards, (3) require the
Public Utilities Regulatory Authority to initiate a docket to examine the
future of natural gas in the state, (4) establish programs to incentivize
the development of thermal energy networks, (5) increase electric and
gas grid reliability and reduce electric and gas demand, and (6)
incentivize the adoption of heat pumps and solar canopies.
[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.]