Sec. 16-245a. Renewable energy portfolio standards. - Connecticut Statutes

      Sec. 16-245a. Renewable energy portfolio standards. (a) An electric supplier and an electric distribution company providing standard service or supplier of last resort service, pursuant to section 16-244c, shall demonstrate:

      (1) On and after January 1, 2006, that not less than two per cent of the total output or services of any such supplier or distribution company shall be generated from Class I renewable energy sources and an additional three per cent of the total output or services shall be from Class I or Class II renewable energy sources;

      (2) On and after January 1, 2007, not less than three and one-half per cent of the total output or services of any such supplier or distribution company shall be generated from Class I renewable energy sources and an additional three per cent of the total output or services shall be from Class I or Class II renewable energy sources;

      (3) On and after January 1, 2008, not less than five per cent of the total output or services of any such supplier or distribution company shall be generated from Class I renewable energy sources and an additional three per cent of the total output or services shall be from Class I or Class II renewable energy sources;

      (4) On and after January 1, 2009, not less than six per cent of the total output or services of any such supplier or distribution company shall be generated from Class I renewable energy sources and an additional three per cent of the total output or services shall be from Class I or Class II renewable energy sources;

      (5) On and after January 1, 2010, not less than seven per cent of the total output or services of any such supplier or distribution company shall be generated from Class I renewable energy sources and an additional three per cent of the total output or services shall be from Class I or Class II renewable energy sources;

      (6) On and after January 1, 2011, not less than eight per cent of the total output or services of any such supplier or distribution company shall be generated from Class I renewable energy sources and an additional three per cent of the total output or services shall be from Class I or Class II renewable energy sources;

      (7) On and after January 1, 2012, not less than nine per cent of the total output or services of any such supplier or distribution company shall be generated from Class I renewable energy sources and an additional three per cent of the total output or services shall be from Class I or Class II renewable energy sources;

      (8) On and after January 1, 2013, not less than ten per cent of the total output or services of any such supplier or distribution company shall be generated from Class I renewable energy sources and an additional three per cent of the total output or services shall be from Class I or Class II renewable energy sources;

      (9) On and after January 1, 2014, not less than eleven per cent of the total output or services of any such supplier or distribution company shall be generated from Class I renewable energy sources and an additional three per cent of the total output or services shall be from Class I or Class II renewable energy sources;

      (10) On and after January 1, 2015, not less than twelve and one-half per cent of the total output or services of any such supplier or distribution company shall be generated from Class I renewable energy sources and an additional three per cent of the total output or services shall be from Class I or Class II renewable energy sources;

      (11) On and after January 1, 2016, not less than fourteen per cent of the total output or services of any such supplier or distribution company shall be generated from Class I renewable energy sources and an additional three per cent of the total output or services shall be from Class I or Class II renewable energy sources;

      (12) On and after January 1, 2017, not less than fifteen and one-half per cent of the total output or services of any such supplier or distribution company shall be generated from Class I renewable energy sources and an additional three per cent of the total output or services shall be from Class I or Class II renewable energy sources;

      (13) On and after January 1, 2018, not less than seventeen per cent of the total output or services of any such supplier or distribution company shall be generated from Class I renewable energy sources and an additional three per cent of the total output or services shall be from Class I or Class II renewable energy sources;

      (14) On and after January 1, 2019, not less than nineteen and one-half per cent of the total output or services of any such supplier or distribution company shall be generated from Class I renewable energy sources and an additional three per cent of the total output or services shall be from Class I or Class II renewable energy sources;

      (15) On and after January 1, 2020, not less than twenty per cent of the total output or services of any such supplier or distribution company shall be generated from Class I renewable energy sources and an additional three per cent of the total output or services shall be from Class I or Class II renewable energy sources.

      (b) An electric supplier or electric distribution company may satisfy the requirements of this section (1) by purchasing certificates issued by the New England Power Pool Generation Information System, provided the certificates are for (A) energy produced by a generating unit using Class I or Class II renewable energy sources and the generating unit is located in the jurisdiction of the regional independent system operator, or (B) energy imported into the control area of the regional independent system operator pursuant to New England Power Pool Generation Information System Rule 2.7(c), as in effect on January 1, 2006; (2) for those renewable energy certificates under contract to serve end-use customers in the state on or before October 1, 2006, by participating in a renewable energy trading program within said jurisdictions as approved by the Department of Public Utility Control; or (3) by purchasing eligible renewable electricity and associated attributes from residential customers who are net producers.

      (c) Any supplier who provides electric generation services solely from a Class II renewable energy source shall not be required to comply with the provisions of this section.

      (d) An electric supplier or an electric distribution company shall base its demonstration of generation sources, as required under subsection (a) of this section on historical data, which may consist of data filed with the regional independent system operator.

      (e) (1) A supplier or an electric distribution company may make up any deficiency within its renewable energy portfolio within the first three months of the succeeding calendar year or as otherwise provided by generation information system operating rules approved by New England Power Pool or its successor to meet the generation source requirements of subsection (a) of this section for the previous year.

      (2) No such supplier or electric distribution company shall receive credit for the current calendar year for generation from Class I or Class II renewable energy sources pursuant to this section where such supplier or distribution company receives credit for the preceding calendar year pursuant to subdivision (1) of this subsection.

      (f) The department shall adopt regulations, in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54, to implement the provisions of this section.

      (g) (1) Notwithstanding the provisions of this section and section 16-244c, for periods beginning on and after January 1, 2008, each electric distribution company may procure renewable energy certificates from Class I, Class II and Class III renewable energy sources through long-term contracting mechanisms. The electric distribution companies may enter into long-term contracts for not more than fifteen years to procure such renewable energy certificates. The electric distribution companies shall use any renewable energy certificates obtained pursuant to this section to meet their standard service and supplier of last resort renewable portfolio standard requirements.

      (2) On or before July 1, 2007, the department shall initiate a contested case proceeding to examine whether long-term contracts should be used to procure Class I, Class II and Class III certificates. In such examination, the department shall determine (A) the impact of such contracts on price stability, fuel diversity and cost; (B) the method and timing of crediting of the procurement of renewable energy certificates against the renewable portfolio standard purchase obligations of electric suppliers and the electric distribution companies pursuant to subsection (a) of this section; (C) the terms and conditions, including reasonable performance assurance commitments, that may be imposed on entities seeking to supply renewable energy certificates; (D) the level of one-time compensation, not to exceed one mill per kilowatt hour of output and services associated with the renewable energy certificates purchased pursuant to this subsection, which may be payable to the electric distribution companies for administering the procurement provided for under this subsection and recovered as part of the generation services charge or through an appropriate nonbypassable rate component on customers' bills; (E) the manner in which costs for such program may be recovered from electric distribution company customers; and (F) any other issues the department deems appropriate. Revenues from such compensation shall not be included in calculating the electric distribution companies' earnings to determine if rates are just and reasonable, for earnings sharing mechanisms or for purposes of sections 16-19, 16-19a and 16-19e.

      (P.A. 98-28, S. 25, 117; P.A. 03-135, S. 7; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 05-1, S. 34; P.A. 06-74, S. 3; P.A. 07-242, S. 40, 71.)

      History: P.A. 98-28 effective July 1, 1998; P.A. 03-135 amended Subsec. (a) to delete provisions applicable before July 1, 2003, designate remaining provisions as Subdiv. (1), add provisions re applicability of section to electric suppliers and electric distribution companies providing transitional standard offer, standard service, and supplier of last resort service, adjust the percentage of Class I and Class II renewable energy source requirements and the dates for meeting such requirements, delete provision re participation in a renewable energy trading program approved by the state, reposition provision re generation solely from Class II renewable energy source as new Subdiv. (3) and add new Subdiv. (2) re qualifying jurisdictions, amended Subsec. (b) to add a reference to an electric supplier and an electric distribution company and to make conforming changes, added new Subsec. (c) re make up of any deficiency and credit for the current year where credit was received in a preceding year, redesignated former Subsec. (c) as Subsec. (d) and amended said Subsec. to change "may" to "shall" and to make technical changes, effective January 1, 2004; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 05-1 amended Subsec. (a)(2) to add "on and after January 1, 2010", effective July 1, 2006; P.A. 06-74 amended Subsec. (a) to make technical changes, redesignated existing Subsec. (a)(2) as new Subsec. (b), amended Subsec. (b) to replace language re certain qualifying jurisdictions with language in Subdiv. (1) re certificates issued by the New England Power Pool Generation Information System and in Subdiv. (2) re renewable energy certificates under contract on or before October 1, 2006, and to make technical changes, redesignated existing Subsec. (a)(3) as new Subsec. (c), and redesignated existing Subsecs. (b) to (d), inclusive, as new Subsecs. (d) to (f), inclusive; P.A. 07-242 amended Subsec. (a) to add Subdiv. designators (1) to (5) for existing renewable energy portfolio standard requirements through on and after January 1, 2010, and add Subdivs. (6) to (15) re standards through on and after January 1, 2020, and added Subsec. (b)(3) re purchasing renewable energy from residential net producers, and, effective June 4, 2007, added Subsec. (g) re long-term contracts.