2016 Comprehensive Energy Strategy Under Development

07.14.2016
Issues & Policies

In 2013, Governor Dannel Malloy issued Connecticut’s first Comprehensive Energy Strategy, designed as a three-year strategic plan for moving the state toward a cheaper, cleaner, and more reliable energy future.
With the three years almost up, work is underway to issue the 2016 CES by the end of this year.
As an initial step in this process, DEEP held a CES scoping and public input session on May 24, where the agency presented an outline of proposed guiding principles, and key questions for the CES to address in three sectors: electricity, buildings and processes, and transportation.
A major change proposed by DEEP features (in addition to cheaper, cleaner and more reliable) an overarching goal of more sustainable energy.
The outline offered no definition of sustainable for purposes of the CES, but it is clear DEEP is looking at the strategy plan as the primary policy vehicle for implementing the yet-to-be released recommendations of the governor’s Council on Climate Change.
DEEP’s outline stated that the GC3 will recommend an interim greenhouse gas emission goal of 35%-55% reduction below 2001 levels from Connecticut sources by 2030.
The current long-term goal, defined by statute, is an 80% reduction by 2050.

Economic Implications

CBIA is concerned about the economic implications of the purported future GC3 recommendations which, to our knowledge, have not been independently analyzed.
We also believe it is critical that DEEP define what it means by proposing more sustainable as a new overarching goal of the 2016 CES.
CBIA submitted detailed written comments on the scoping document assembled by E2: CBIA’s Energy & Environment Council and a committee of energy stakeholders.
That group represents a broad cross-section of CBIA’s membership, including manufacturers and other energy users, generators (including wind, oil, natural gas, solar, geothermal, nuclear, hydropower, and biofuels), transmission and distribution companies, and others.
CBIA and its E2 council will continue to be involved in the development of the 2016 CES.
A draft CES is due out in late September/early November and will be the focus of our annual 21st Century Energy Conference October 5 in Cromwell.


For more information, contact CBIA’s Eric Brown (860.244.1926) | @CBIAericb

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