House Should Pass Renewable Energy Bill without Further Changes

A major proposal awaiting action in the state House aims to reduce Connecticut’s excessive energy costs by adding more flexibility to its renewable energy portfolio standards (RPS).

The RPS requires energy distribution companies to buy a certain percentage of the power it delivers to homes and businesses from renewable resources.  These renewable resources can be up to five times more expensive than conventional sources.

Currently, there is not enough renewable power available in Connecticut to meet the RPS – at any price. That means the companies have to pay a penalty which makes the RPS even more expensive to ratepayers.

SB 1138 would allow small amounts of renewable and affordable and readily available large-scale hydropower to meet Connecticut’s most-stringent-the-nation RPS.

The proposal, which has the support of Governor Malloy and broad bipartisan support in the legislature originated in the Energy and Technology Committee, which has raised several innovative bills designed to reduce the costs of energy to businesses and residents.

While the bill has already passed the Senate and is believed to have enough votes to pass in the House, the bill is stalled as leadership decides whether to make further concessions to those who oppose allowing any large-scale hydropower to be used for RPS compliance.

With just a few weeks to go in the session, now is the time for lawmakers to pass the measure as adopted in the Senate without further changes. There are other important energy bills that need to be moved forward in the process and time is growing short.

Even with the concessions in the Senate version, it still represents a good step forward in recognizing and addressing one of the elements that makes Connecticut’s energy costs so much higher than most every other state’s.

For more information, contact CBIA’s Eric Brown at 860.244.1926 or eric.brown@cbia.com.