On or after July 1, 2013, the Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection, in consultation with the procurement manager identified in subsection (l) of section 16-2, the Office of Consumer Counsel and the Attorney General, may, in coordination with other states in the region of the regional independent system operator, as defined in section 16-1, or on the commissioner's own, solicit proposals, in one solicitation or multiple solicitations, from providers of Class I renewable energy sources, as defined in section 16-1, or verifiable large-scale hydropower, as defined in section 16-1. If the commissioner finds such proposals to be in the interest of ratepayers, including, but not limited to, the delivered price of such sources, and consistent with the requirements to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in accordance with section 22a-200a, and in accordance with the policy goals outlined in the Comprehensive Energy Strategy, adopted pursuant to section 16a-3d, and section 129 of public act 11-80*, including, but not limited to, base load capacity, peak load shaving and promotion of wind, solar and other renewable and low carbon energy technologies, the commissioner may select proposals from such resources to meet up to five per cent of the load distributed by the state's electric distribution companies. The commissioner may on behalf of all customers of electric distribution companies, direct the electric distribution companies to enter into power purchase agreements for energy, capacity and any environmental attributes, or any combination thereof, for periods of not more than (1) fifteen years, if any such agreement is with a provider of verifiable large-scale hydropower, or (2) twenty years, if any such agreement is with a provider of a Class I renewable energy source. Certificates issued by the New England Power Pool Generation Information System for any Class I renewable energy sources procured under this section shall be sold in the New England Power Pool Generation Information System renewable energy credit market to be used by any electric supplier or electric distribution company to meet the requirements of section 16-245a. Any such agreement shall be subject to review and approval by the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority, which review shall (A) include a public hearing, and (B) be completed not later than sixty days after the date on which such agreement is filed with the authority. The net costs of any such agreement, including costs incurred by the electric distribution companies under the agreement and reasonable costs incurred by the electric distribution companies in connection with the agreement, shall be recovered through a fully reconciling component of electric rates for all customers of electric distribution companies.
(P.A. 13-303, S. 7; P.A. 14-94, S. 33.)
*Note: Section 129 of public act 11-80 is special in nature and therefore has not been codified but remains in full force and effect according to its terms.
History: P.A. 13-303 effective June 5, 2013; P.A. 14-94 reworded provision re net costs recovered by electric distribution companies pursuant to power purchase agreements, effective June 6, 2014.
Structure Connecticut General Statutes
Title 16a - Planning and Energy Policy
Section 16a-1. - Legislative findings and purpose.
Section 16a-3. - Connecticut Energy Advisory Board.
Section 16a-3a. - Integrated Resources Plan re energy resource procurement.
Section 16a-3b. - Implementation of the Integrated Resources Plan.
Section 16a-3c. - Electric distribution companies' plans to build electric generation facilities.
Section 16a-3d. - Comprehensive Energy Strategy.
Section 16a-3e. - Requirements of the Integrated Resources Plan.
Section 16a-3f. - Solicitation re Class I renewable energy sources.
Section 16a-3g. - Solicitation re Class I renewable energy sources or large-scale hydropower.
Section 16a-3k. - Definitions.
Section 16a-3o. - Study of the value of distributed energy resources.
Section 16a-3p. - Solicitation re energy derived from anaerobic digestion.
Section 16a-4. - Office of Policy and Management. Staff. Regulations.
Section 16a-4a. - Office of Policy and Management. Duties and powers.
Section 16a-4b. - Municipalities may petition for redesignation of planning region. Procedure.
Section 16a-5. - Secretary's investigatory and subpoena powers.
Section 16a-6. - Cooperation of other state agencies. License for sale of gasoline.
Section 16a-7. - Annual report and recommendations by board.
Section 16a-7a. - Annual comprehensive energy plan.
Section 16a-7b. - Condemnation or restriction of operation of energy facility by municipality.
Section 16a-8. - Programs to foster cooperative effort.
Section 16a-9. - Energy emergency plan. Amendments.
Section 16a-10. - Joint legislative committee established.
Section 16a-12. - Energy emergency not covered by state plan. Review and disapproval. Termination.
Section 16a-13d. - Study on establishing a reserve of energy resources.
Section 16a-14a. - Grant program for businesses involved in energy-related products and services.
Section 16a-14b. - Testing programs for energy-related products. Regulations.
Section 16a-14e. - Purchasing pool for purchase of electricity.
Section 16a-16. - Enforcement; injunctions, damages. Remedies not exclusive.