Committee Moves to Address Energy Costs, Competitiveness

For years, state policymakers have created programs, funded in part by your electric bill, to influence behavior and promote technologies that couldn’t otherwise compete in the marketplace.
With some of those subsidies now declining, and the price of conventional fuels like natural gas falling, some energy technologies say their future viability is in question and are calling for further subsidies.

Commitments from the Trump administration to develop more conventional fuels may lead to even greater economic challenges and cost disparities between Connecticut and the rest of the country.
Energy efficiency and clean energy provide social and economic benefits—including greater reliability due to increased fuel diversity and savings to those who invest in efficiency.
But the subsidies they require also contribute, along with many other factors, to Connecticut often having the highest residential electric bills in the country.

Least Competitive State

In fact, in 2016 Connecticut was rated the least competitive state in the country with respect to overall energy costs.
While efforts should continue to promote energy efficiency and clean energy in the most cost-effective ways, members of the Energy and Technology Committee are also serious about the urgent need to address Connecticut’s challenges in costs and competitiveness.
It’s why the committee is considering two bills designed to bring greater focus at the legislature and the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection toward lowering costs and increasing our competitiveness.
SB 860 requires that any bill with the potential to affect electric ratepayer costs carry a ratepayer impact statement before a final vote in the state House and Senate.
The impact statement would say whether the measure is more likely to increase, decrease, or have no effect on consumers’ energy bills.

Comprehensive Energy Strategy

HB 7012 requires DEEP, in adopting its Comprehensive Energy Strategy every three years, to include an assessment of Connecticut’s competitive position relative to other northeastern states in energy costs, and recommend how to improve that position.
CBIA appreciates the committee’s demonstrated interest and commitment to addressing the state’s unfortunate rankings for energy costs and competitiveness, while continuing to promote efficiency and clean energy in a cost-effective manner.
The committee will soon consider these bills. CBIA urges committee members to strongly support them.

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