(a) On or before October 1, 2020, and every four years thereafter, the Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection shall prepare a Comprehensive Energy Strategy. Said strategy shall reflect the legislative findings and policy stated in section 16a-35k, provide any analysis and recommendations necessary to guide the state's energy policy to meet greenhouse gas emission reduction requirements, as established in section 22a-200a, in the most cost-effective manner and incorporate (1) an assessment and plan for all energy needs in the state, including, but not limited to, electricity, heating, cooling, and transportation, (2) the findings of the Integrated Resources Plan, (3) the findings of the plan for energy efficiency adopted pursuant to section 16-245m, (4) the findings of the plan for renewable energy adopted pursuant to section 16-245n, and (5) the Energy Assurance Plan developed for the state of Connecticut pursuant to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, P.L. 111-5, or any successor Energy Assurance Plan developed within a reasonable time prior to the preparation of any Comprehensive Energy Strategy. Said strategy shall further include, but not be limited to, (A) an assessment of current energy supplies, demand and costs, (B) identification and evaluation of the factors likely to affect future energy supplies, demand and costs, (C) a statement of progress made toward achieving the goals and milestones set in the preceding Comprehensive Energy Strategy, (D) a statement of energy policies and long-range energy planning objectives and strategies appropriate to achieve, the state's greenhouse gas reduction goals established in section 22a-200a, a sound economy, the least-cost mix of energy supply sources to meet said goals and measures that reduce demand for energy, giving due regard to such factors as consumer price impacts, security and diversity of fuel supplies and energy generating methods, protection of public health and safety, environmental goals and standards, conservation of energy and energy resources and the ability of the state to compete economically, (E) recommendations for administrative and legislative actions to implement such policies, objectives and strategies, (F) an assessment of the potential costs savings and benefits to ratepayers, including, but not limited to, carbon dioxide emissions reductions or voluntary joint ventures to repower some or all of the state's coal-fired and oil-fired generation facilities built before 1990, (G) the benefits, costs, obstacles and solutions related to the expansion and use and availability of natural gas in Connecticut, and (H) a strategy for ensuring the state's energy efficiency goals are met.
(b) In adopting the Comprehensive Energy Strategy, the Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection shall conduct a proceeding that shall not be considered a contested case under chapter 54, but shall include not less than one public meeting and one technical meeting at which technical personnel shall be available to answer questions. Such meetings shall be transcribed and posted on the department's Internet web site. Said commissioner shall give not less than fifteen days' notice of such proceeding by electronic publication on the department's Internet web site. Not later than fifteen days prior to any such public meeting and not less than thirty days prior to any such technical meeting, the commissioner shall publish notice of either such meeting and post the text of the proposed Comprehensive Energy Strategy on the department's Internet web site. Notice of such public meeting or technical meeting may also be published in one or more newspapers having state-wide circulation if deemed necessary by the commissioner. Such notice shall state the date, time, and place of the meeting, the subject matter of the meeting, the manner and time period during which comments may be submitted to said commissioner, the statutory authority for the proposed strategy and the location where a copy of the proposed strategy may be obtained or examined in addition to posting the proposed strategy on the department's Internet web site. Said commissioner shall provide a time period of not less than sixty days from the date the notice is published on the department's Internet web site for public review and comment. During such time period, any person may provide comments concerning the proposed strategy to said commissioner. Said commissioner shall consider fully all written and oral comments concerning the proposed strategy after all public meetings and technical meetings and before approving the final strategy. Said commissioner shall (1) notify by electronic mail each person who requests such notice, and (2) post on the department's Internet web site the electronic text of the final strategy and a report summarizing all public comments and the changes made to the final strategy in response to such comments and the reasons therefor. The Public Utilities Regulatory Authority shall comment on the strategy's impact on natural gas and electric rates.
(c) The Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection shall submit the final Comprehensive Energy Strategy electronically to the joint standing committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to energy and the environment.
(d) The Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection may modify the Comprehensive Energy Strategy in accordance with the procedures outlined in subsections (b) and (c) of this section.
(P.A. 11-80, S. 51; P.A. 13-298, S. 23; P.A. 18-82, S. 3.)
History: P.A. 11-80 effective July 1, 2011; P.A. 13-298 amended Subsecs. (a) to (d) to replace “comprehensive energy plan” with “Comprehensive Energy Strategy”, amended Subsecs. (a) and (d) to delete references to Connecticut Energy Advisory Board, amended Subsec. (a) to replace July 1, 2012, with October 1, 2016, to add Subdiv. (5) re Energy Assurance Plan and to delete “for transportation purposes” re plan to increase use and availability of natural gas, substantially revised Subsec. (b) re process to adopt Comprehensive Energy Strategy, amended Subsec. (d) to delete provision re commissioner's approval or rejection of plan with comments, deleted former Subsecs. (e) and (f) re decisions of Public Utilities Regulatory Authority and recovery of electric distribution companies' reasonable costs from developing resource assessment, and made technical and conforming changes, effective July 8, 2013; P.A. 18-82 amended Subsec. (a) by replacing reference to October 1, 2016 and every 3 years thereafter with reference to October 1, 2020 and every 4 years thereafter, adding provision re Comprehensive Energy Strategy to provide analysis and recommendations to guide state's energy policy to meet greenhouse gas emission reduction requirements in the most cost-effective manner, adding reference to state's greenhouse gas reduction goals in Subpara. (D), adding Subpara. (H) re strategy for ensuring state's energy efficiency goals are met, deleting provision re department to develop plan to increase use and availability of natural gas, and making conforming changes, effective June 6, 2018.