Connecticut General Statutes/Title 16a/Chapter 298/Section 16a-41b

CGS § 16a-41b. Low-Income Energy and Water Advisory Board.

(a) There shall be a Low-Income Energy and Water Advisory Board which shall consist of the following members or their designees: (1) A representative of each electric and gas public service company designated by each such company; (2) the chairperson of the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority; (3) the Consumer Counsel; (4) the chief executive officer of Operation Fuel; (5) the executive director of Infoline; (6) the director of the Connecticut Local Administrators of Social Services; (7) a representative of Connecticut Legal Services, Inc., Greater Hartford Legal Aid or the New Haven Legal Assistance Association, designated by Connecticut Legal Services, Inc.; (8) the Connecticut state director of AARP; (9) a designee of the Norwich Public Utility; (10) a designee of the Independent Connecticut Petroleum Association; (11) two representatives of water companies as defined in section 25-32a, designated by the Connecticut Water Works Association; (12) the executive director of the Connecticut Fair Housing Center; (13) the executive director of the Center for Children's Advocacy; (14) the executive director of the Connecticut Green Building Council; and (15) two representatives of the community action agencies administering energy assistance programs under contract with the Department of Social Services, designated by the Connecticut Association for Community Action. The Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management and the Commissioners of Social Services and Energy and Environmental Protection, or their designees, shall serve as nonvoting members of the board.

(b) The Low-Income Energy and Water Advisory Board shall advise and assist the Office of Policy and Management and the Department of Social Services in the planning, development, implementation and coordination of energy-assistance-related programs and policies and low-income weatherization assistance programs and policies, shall advise the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection regarding the impact of utility rates and policies, and shall make recommendations to the General Assembly regarding (1) legislation and plans subject to legislative approval, and (2) administration of the block grant program authorized under the Low-Income Energy Assistance Act, as described in section 16a-41a, to ensure affordable access to residential energy services to low-income state residents.

(c) The Low-Income Energy and Water Advisory Board may advise and assist the Office of Policy and Management, the Department of Social Services and the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection in the planning, development, implementation and coordination of water-assistance-related programs and policies, including programs and policies to alleviate the impact of utility rates, and shall make recommendations to the General Assembly regarding the availability and implementation of heating and water assistance programs that benefit low-income and moderate-income households, including, but not limited to, the Connecticut Low Income Household Water Assistance Program.

(d) The board shall elect a chairperson and a vice-chairperson from among its voting members.

(e) The Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection, or his or her designee, shall provide notice of meetings to the members of the Low-Income Energy and Water Advisory Board, provide space for such meetings, maintain minutes and publish reports of the board.

(f) The Low-Income Energy and Water Advisory Board shall convene and devise recommendations to improve the availability, administration and implementation of heating and water assistance programs, particularly those created to benefit low-income households, through coordination and optimization of existing energy efficiency, water conservation and energy assistance programs. Not later than October 15, 2024, and biennially thereafter, the Low-Income Energy and Water Advisory Board shall report such recommendations, in accordance with section 11-4a, to the joint standing committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to energy, appropriations and human services.

Short History

(P.A. 05-204, S. 1; Sept. Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-5, S. 81; P.A. 11-80, S. 48; June 12 Sp. Sess. P.A. 12-2, S. 167; P.A. 13-125, S. 24; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 15-5, S. 107; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 17-2, S. 289; P.A. 22-105, S. 1; P.A. 24-37, S. 1.)

Long History

History: P.A. 05-204 effective July 6, 2005; Sept. Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-5 amended Subsec. (b) by adding requirement that Low-Income Energy Advisory Board make recommendations concerning administration of block grant program described in Sec. 16a-41a, effective October 5, 2009; P.A. 11-80 amended Subsec. (a) by replacing “chairperson of the Department of Public Utility Control or a commissioner of the Department of Public Utility Control designated by the chairperson” with “chairperson of the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority, or the chairperson's designee” and amended Subsec. (b) by replacing “Department of Public Utility Control” with “Department of Energy and Environmental Protection”, effective July 1, 2011; June 12 Sp. Sess. P.A. 12-2 amended Subsec. (a) to make Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management and Commissioner of Social Services nonvoting members of the board, add Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection to the board as nonvoting member, change “Connecticut Petroleum Dealers Association” to “Independent Connecticut Petroleum Association” and make technical changes, amended Subsec. (c) to replace provision requiring Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management or secretary's designee to serve as chairperson of the board with provision requiring board to elect chairperson and vice-chairperson and amended Subsec. (d) to delete provision re deadline for first meeting of the board and replace reference to secretary with reference to Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection, effective July 1, 2012; P.A. 13-125 amended Subsec. (a) to replace executive director of Commission on Aging with Commissioner on Aging or commissioner's designee, effective July 1, 2013; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 15-5 added Subsec. (e) re recommendations to improve implementation of heating assistance programs; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 17-2 deleted reference to Commissioner on Aging and made technical changes, effective October 31, 2017; P.A. 22-105 amended Subsec. (a) by adding Subdiv. designators (1) to (10) and (15) to existing provisions, changing “president” to “state director” in Subdiv. (8), adding Subdivs. (11) to (14) re water company, Connecticut Fair Housing Center, Center for Children's Advocacy and Connecticut Green Building Council representatives, and increasing from one to two community action agency representatives, effective July 1, 2022; P.A. 24-37 amended Subsec. (a) by changing “executive director” to “chief executive officer” in Subdiv. (4) and “the executive director of Legal Assistance Resource Center of Connecticut” to “a representative of Connecticut Legal Services, Inc., Greater Hartford Legal Aid or the New Haven Legal Assistance Association, designated by Connecticut Legal Services, Inc.” in Subdiv. (7), added new Subsec. (c) re advising and assisting in development of water-assistance-related programs and policies and making recommendations, redesignated existing Subsecs. (c) to (e) as Subsecs. (d) to (f), amended redesignated Subsec. (f) by adding “availability, administration and” before “implementation”, adding references to water and water conservation, deleting provisions re considerations for recommendations, replacing “January 1, 2016” with “October 15, 2024, and biennially thereafter”, and changed “Low-Income Energy Advisory Board” to “Low-Income Energy and Water Advisory Board” throughout, effective July 1, 2024.

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