From: Sustainable Energy Advantage, LLC
<sea-deliverables@seadvantage.com>
Sent: Friday, February 5, 2021 3:15 PM
To: Bob Grace
Subject: SEA New England Eyes & Ears Special Flash No. 86.6.2,
February 5, 2021
New England Eyes & Ears Special Flash No. 86.6.2, February 5, 2021
Headlines Time-sensitive articles are
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On February 4, 2021, the Joint Energy and Technology (E&T)
Committee announced that it will hold a meeting on
February 9 at 11:00 am. The meeting will be streamed both on YouTube Live and CT-N.
The E&T Committee will discuss the following concepts that may
be related to renewable energy to be drafted as Raised Bills:
§ An Act
Concerning Distributed Energy Generation
§ An Act
Concerning Solar Solicitation
§ An Act
Requiring The Study of Energy Sources
§ An Act
Removing The Property Tax Exemption and Reclassifying The Tax Calculation For
Solar Projects
§ An Act
Expanding Virtual Net Metering To Manufacturers in Distressed Municipalities
§ An Act
Increasing The Percentage of Total Output Attributed To Class III Sources
In addition, the E&T Committee will discuss the following
proposed bills to be referred to other Committees:
§ HB 5639 - An Act Concerning The Approval Process for
Anaerobic Digesters: The bill, if enacted, would streamline the
approval process for anaerobic digestors, "including issuance of single
permits approved within one week." The E&T Committee plans to refer it
to the Environment Committee.
§ HB 5834 - An Act Creating A Task Force To Evaluate
Residential Impacts of Connecticut Siting Council Decisions: The bill,
if enacted, would create a task force to "evaluate the residential impacts
of Connecticut Siting Council decisions." The E&T Committee plans to
refer it to the Environment Committee.
The Joint Environment and Natural Resources Committee is holding
a confirmation hearing on February 8, 2021, at 1:00 PM to consider the
appointment of Melanie Loyzim by Gov. Janet Mills as Commissioner of the
Department of Environmental Protection (see Flash Update 86.6). The hearing
will be available for viewing here.
In addition, the Joint Energy, Utilities, and Technology Committee
is holding a confirmation hearing on February 9, 2021, at 9:00 AM to
consider the following appointments by Gov. Mills to the Board of the
Efficiency Maine Trust:
§ Suzanne
MacDonald (in her case, for reappointment);
§ Mark
Isaacson; and
§ Kenneth A.
Colburn
The hearing will be available for viewing here.
The House Science, Technology, and Energy (STE) Committee will
hold hearings on February 8 and 12 to consider the following bills
relevant to renewable energy:
February 8, 2021
§ HB 168-FN - An Act Requiring The Adoption Of Innovative Vehicle
Emissions Standards Pursuant To Section 177 Of The Federal Clean Air Act.
(Virtual
Hearing - 10:00 am)
§ HB 289 - An Act Relative To Including Electrical Storage
Facilities In The Definition Of Energy Facility (Virtual
Hearing - 1:30 am)
§ HB 309 - An Act Relative To The Computation Of Renewable Energy
Credits (Virtual
Hearing - 3:00 pm)
§ HB 373 - An Act Relative To State Participation In Low Carbon Fuel
Standards Programs. (Virtual
Hearing - 4:00 pm)
February 12, 2021
§ HB 172 - An Act Establishing Greenhouse Gas Emission Reduction
Goals For The State And Establishing A Climate Action Plan. (Virtual
Hearing - 9:00 am)
§ HB 396 - An Act Relative To Credits For Certain Energy Production
Not Issued Renewable Energy Certificates (Virtual
Hearing - 11:00 am). The bill, if enacted, would end the
practice of "REC Sweeping", in which production from net metered DG
that does not generate Class I or II RECs are credited to utilities for use in
fulfilling their RPS obligations. In addition, the bill would require that the
Public Utilities Commission (PUC) publish its yearly production estimates for
net metered DG in cases when Class I or II RECs are not issued.
§ HB 213 - An Act Relative To The Elimination Of Useful Thermal
Energy From Renewable Energy Classes. (Virtual
Hearing - 2:00 pm) The bill, if enacted, would:
§ Eliminate
the useful thermal and biomass electric classes of the RPS;
§ Reduce the
Class I (new renewable energy) RPS requirement for 2025 and thereafter from 15%
to 6%;
§ Reduce the
Class II (new solar energy) RPS requirement for 2025 and thereafter from .7% to
.3%; and
§ Reduce the
Class III (existing biomass/methane) RPS requirement for 2025 and thereafter
from 8% to 1%.
§ HB 399 - An Act Relative To The Energy Consumption Reduction Goal
(Virtual
Hearing - 1:00 pm).
§ HB 315 - An Act Relative To The Aggregation Of Electric Customers.
(Virtual
Hearing - 3:00 pm) The bill, if enacted, would revise the
regulations governing municipal aggregation programs. Specifically, the bill
would:
§ Allow for community
aggregation programs to enroll customers on an opt-out basis for customers
enrolled in default service, and opt-in for customers using an energy service
from a competitive electricity supplier;
§ Prevent
aggregators from participating in the wholesale market as a load serving entity
for the purpose of procuring or selling electrical energy or capacity on behalf
of its participating retail electric customers. In effect, this would result in
aggregators acting as a broker for the purchase of electricity from an LSE,
similar to the model used in states like Massachusetts;
§ Institute
Public Utility Commission oversight over plans for aggregation programs;
§ Remove
requirements that aggregation plans must consider how net metered electricity
will be compensated and accounted for; and
§ Restrict
customer data available to aggregators.
The House Municipal and County Government committee will hold a
hearing on February 9 hearing to consider the following bill relevant to
renewable energy:
§ HB 64 - An Act Relative To Renewable Generation Facility Property
Subject To A Voluntary Payment In Lieu Of Taxes Agreement.
(10:00 am)
Best regards,
The SEA Team
Sustainable Energy Advantage, LLC
Jim Kennerly
Senior Consultant
Tel. 508-665-5862 | jkennerly@seadvantage.com
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