Connecticut General Statutes/Title 22a/Chapter 446c/Section 22a-200c

CGS § 22a-200c. Implementation of Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative. Regional Greenhouse Gas account. Auctioning of allowances.

(a) The Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection shall adopt regulations, in accordance with chapter 54, to implement the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative.

(b) The Department of Energy and Environmental Protection shall auction all emissions allowances and invest the proceeds, which shall be deposited into a Regional Greenhouse Gas account established by the Comptroller as a separate, nonlapsing account within the General Fund, on behalf of electric ratepayers in energy conservation, load management, Class I renewable energy programs and programs that reduce transportation sector greenhouse gas emissions. In making such investments, the Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection shall consider strategies that maximize cost effective reductions in greenhouse gas emission. Allowances shall be auctioned under the oversight of the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection by a contractor or trustee on behalf of the electric ratepayers.

(c) The regulations adopted pursuant to subsection (a) of this section may include provisions to cover the reasonable administrative costs associated with the implementation of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative in Connecticut and to fund the assessment, planning and implementation of measures to reduce emissions, mitigate the impacts of climate change and to cover the reasonable administrative costs of state agencies associated with the adoption of regulations, plans and policies in accordance with section 22a-200a. Such costs shall not exceed seven and one-half per cent of the total projected allowance value. Such regulations may also set aside a portion of the allowances to support the voluntary renewable energy provisions of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative model rule and combined heat and power.

(d) Any allowances or allowance value allocated to the energy conservation load management program on behalf of electric ratepayers shall be incorporated into the planning and procurement process in sections 16a-3a and 16a-3b.

(e) Beginning with the first auction occurring on or after January 1, 2023, and notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (a) of this section and subdivision (6) of subsection (f) of section 22a-174-31 of the regulations of Connecticut state agencies, auction proceeds annually calculated and allocated in accordance with subdivision (6) of subsection (f) of section 22a-174-31 of the regulations of Connecticut state agencies to the Connecticut Green Bank may be utilized by the Connecticut Green Bank, in consultation with the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, for clean energy resources that do not emit greenhouse gas emissions, provided that any proceeds calculated and allocated to the Connecticut Green Bank in excess of five million two hundred thousand dollars in any fiscal year shall be diverted for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2024, and each fiscal year thereafter, to the department to provide funding for the Connecticut Hydrogen and Electric Automobile Purchase Rebate program established pursuant to section 22a-202 and other programs established to support the department's engagement with environmental justice communities. For the purposes of this subsection, “clean energy” has the same meaning as provided in section 16-245n and “environmental justice community” has the same meaning as provided in section 22a-20a.

Short History

(P.A. 07-242, S. 93; P.A. 08-98, S. 4; Sept. Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-8, S. 36; P.A. 11-80, S. 1, 64; P.A. 13-247, S. 131; P.A. 14-94, S. 29; May Sp. Sess. P.A. 16-3, S. 181; P.A. 22-25, S. 18; P.A. 24-81, S. 55.)

Long History

History: P.A. 07-242 effective July 1, 2007; P.A. 08-98 amended Subsec. (c) to permit allowances to be used to cover certain administrative costs of state agencies; Sept. Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-8 amended Subsec. (b) to add provision re deposit into Regional Greenhouse Gas account, effective October 5, 2009; P.A. 11-80 changed “Commissioner of Environmental Protection” to “Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection” and “Department of Environmental Protection” to “Department of Energy and Environmental Protection” and deleted references to Department of Public Utility Control, effective July 1, 2011; P.A. 13-247 amended Subsec. (b) to add provision re allocation of excess auction proceeds to Clean Energy Finance and Investment Authority by commissioner, effective July 1, 2013; pursuant to P.A. 14-94, “Clean Energy Finance and Investment Authority” was changed editorially by the Revisors to “Connecticut Green Bank” in Subsec. (b), effective June 6, 2014; May Sp. Sess. P.A. 16-3 added Subsec. (e) re diversion of $3,300,000 of auction proceeds to General Fund in fiscal year ending June 30, 2017, and calculation and allocation of auction proceeds and diversion, effective June 2, 2016; P.A. 22-25 amended Subsec. (b) by adding provision re programs that reduce transportation sector greenhouse gas emissions and deleting provision re allocation of auction proceeds on or before July 1, 2015, amended Subsec. (c) by adding “and implementation”, amended Subsec. (e) by replacing reference to January 1, 2017, with reference to January 1, 2023, adding reference to Subsec. (a), deleting provision re funds diverted to the General Fund in fiscal year ending June 30, 2017, adding provision re proceeds allocated to Connecticut Green Bank, adding provision re proceeds in excess of $5,200,000 diverted to Connecticut hydrogen and electric automobile purchase rebate program account and defining “clean energy”, and made technical changes, effective July 1, 2022; P.A. 24-81 amended Subsec. (e) to replace reference to Connecticut hydrogen and electric automobile purchase rebate program account with reference to Connecticut Hydrogen and Electric Automobile Purchase Rebate program, replace reference to Sec. 22a-202(h) with reference to Sec. 22a-202, add provision re funding for programs established to support environmental justice communities, define “environmental justice community” and make conforming changes, effective May 30, 2024.

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