Substitute House Bill No. 5724
AN ACT CONCERNING ENERGY SCARCITY AND SECURITY, RENEWABLE AND CLEAN ENERGY AND A STATE SOLAR STRATEGY.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened:
Section 1. (Effective from passage) (a) There is established a task force to study energy scarcity and sustainability. The task force shall conduct scenario planning for long-term petroleum and natural gas scarcity, steep price increases and supply disruptions. Such study shall include, but not be limited to, examining price and scarcity impacts of natural gas and petroleum on the economy, food supply, transportation, education, health and emergency response.
(b) The task force shall consist of the following members:
(1) One appointed by the speaker of the House of Representatives;
(2) One appointed by the president pro tempore of the Senate;
(3) One appointed by the majority leader of the Senate;
(4) One appointed by the minority leader of the House of Representatives;
(5) One appointed by the minority leader of the Senate;
(6) The Commissioner of Environmental Protection or the commissioner's designee;
(7) The Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management or the secretary's designee; and
(8) The executive director of Connecticut Innovations, Incorporated, or the executive director's designee.
(c) Any member of the task force appointed under subdivision (1), (2), (3), (4), (5) or (6) of subsection (b) of this section may be a member of the General Assembly.
(d) All appointments to the task force shall be made no later than thirty days after the effective date of this section. Any vacancy shall be filled by the appointing authority.
(e) The speaker of the House of Representatives and the president pro tempore of the Senate shall select the chairpersons of the task force, from among the members of the task force. Such chairpersons shall schedule the first meeting of the task force, which shall be held no later than sixty days after the effective date of this section.
(f) Not later than January 1, 2009, the task force shall submit a report on its findings and recommendations to the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to energy, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a of the general statutes. Said report shall include, but not be limited to, short and long-term responses to address potential scarcity, disruptions and cost increases. The task force shall terminate on the date that it submits such report or January 1, 2009, whichever is later.
Sec. 2. (Effective from passage) The Office of Policy and Management, in consultation with and with funding in an amount not to exceed two hundred fifty thousand dollars from the Renewable Energy Investment Fund established pursuant to section 16-245n of the 2008 supplement to the general statutes, shall conduct a petroleum sensitivity study of state agencies. Such study shall include, but not be limited to, a state-wide assessment and inventory of state departments and agencies and their activities and corollary resource requirements concerning petroleum use. The office may contract with a third-party consultant to perform such study. The office shall report the findings of such study to the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to energy on or before December 1, 2008.
Sec. 3. (NEW) (Effective from passage) The Renewable Energy Investment Board, established pursuant to section 16-245n of the 2008 supplement to the general statutes, shall contract with the Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering to study how other states promote and increase the use and supply of renewable energy and clean energy, including, but not limited to, an examination of the funding for and mission of renewable energy and clean energy funds and departments in other states. Said study shall also include, but not be limited to, an analysis of the extent to which creating a department of renewable energy or clean energy (1) ensures that future oil shortages and price increases do not jeopardize the living standards and food security of state residents and farms; (2) maximizes economic opportunities for state workers in emerging clean energy industries; (3) reduces carbon emissions through greater reliance on renewable energy and clean energy sources; and (4) promotes energy independence, local energy production and distributed generation. On or before January 1, 2009, said board shall report its findings to the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to energy.
Sec. 4. (Effective from passage) (a) The Renewable Energy Investments Board, established pursuant to section 16-245n of the 2008 supplement to the general statutes, in consultation with the Department of Public Utility Control, shall convene a working group to develop a plan to maximize the use of solar power and create a self-sustaining solar industry in Connecticut that will help meet renewable portfolio standard requirements and the greenhouse gas emissions limits of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative. Said plan shall identify a target megawatt goal and a timeline for achieving this target and shall include recommendations regarding workforce development and job training necessary to build an in-state solar workforce and regarding coordination with other programs where appropriate.
(b) The working group shall consist of the following members:
(1) One representative from each of the state's electric distribution companies;
(2) Two representatives of environmental nonprofits with expertise in clean energy policy;
(3) Two representatives of the solar industry, one of whom shall represent the residential solar industry and one of whom shall represent a large commercial integrator;
(4) One representative of a solar trade association;
(5) One representative of renewable finance;
(6) One representative of a community college offering solar training;
(7) The Commissioner of Environmental Protection or the commissioner's designee;
(8) The executive director of Connecticut Innovations, Incorporated, or the executive director's designee; and
(9) The Commissioner of Economic and Community Development or the commissioner's designee.
(c) The plan created pursuant to this section shall describe both the benefits of and the costs associated with achieving a self-sustaining solar industry and maximizing the use of solar power, including, but not limited to, (1) types and amounts of incentives to maximize in-state solar installations; (2) methods of residential solar financing; (3) estimated energy production; and (4) solar benefits, including avoided fossil fuel combustion, reduced congestion and peak power production, job creation, air quality and reductions in global warming emissions.
(d) On or before October 15, 2008, the Renewable Energy Investments Board shall approve and submit the plan created pursuant to this section to the Connecticut Energy Advisory Board, established pursuant to section 16-243m of the 2008 supplement to the general statutes, and the joint standing committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to energy and commerce.
Approved June 12, 2008