[SEIA, 8 May 2018]
Legislators in Connecticut have passed sweeping legislation, titled “An Act Concerning Connecticut’s Energy Future. The bill, which is awaiting approval from the Governor, addresses several different aspects of the state’s energy industry. For instance, the bill would increase the Renewable Portfolio Standard to 40% by 2030, but it would also – to the concern of many renewable industry experts- damage the state’s residential rooftop solar industry. In fact, Sean Gallagher, the Vice President of State Affairs for the Solar Energy Industries Association, put out a statement voicing his concerns with the bill and the impact it would have on the solar industry. He stated that, “While we are in favor of legislation that genuinely advances solar energy, we have concerns about this bill. We support stronger renewable portfolio standards, yet it is not clear to what extent the bill would open significant large-scale or community solar markets. And importantly, any approach that doesn't also protect customer choice and provide for reasonable compensation for the value of customer-generated electricity is not acceptable.” As stated in the legislation text, the bill would sunset (or end) “the state's current net metering program for residential customers when the state's residential solar investment program expires, and for all other customers, when PURA [Public Utilities Regulatory Authority] approves the procurement plan for the new zero-emission, low-emission, and shared clean energy programs.”[1]