Bill Text: CT HB06020 | 2015 | General Assembly | Chaptered
Bill Title: An Act Concerning Anaerobic Digestion.
Spectrum: Committee Bill
Status: (Passed) 2015-07-02 - Signed by the Governor [HB06020 Detail]
Download: Connecticut-2015-HB06020-Chaptered.html
AN ACT CONCERNING ANAEROBIC DIGESTION.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened:
Section 1. Section 103 of public act 11-80, as amended by section 156 of public act 12-2 of the June 12 special session, is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from passage):
(a) The [Clean Energy Finance and Investment Authority] Connecticut Green Bank shall on or before March 1, 2012, establish a three-year pilot program to promote the development of new combined heat and power projects in Connecticut that are below five megawatts in capacity size. The program established pursuant to this section shall not exceed fifty megawatts. The [Clean Energy Finance and Investment Authority] Connecticut Green Bank shall examine the appropriate assistance to provide to each approved project. The [Clean Energy Finance and Investment Authority] Connecticut Green Bank shall set one or more standardized grant amounts, loan amounts and power purchase agreements for such projects to limit the administrative burden of project approvals for the [authority] bank and the project proponent, including, but not limited to, a per kilowatt cost of up to four hundred fifty dollars. Such standardized provisions shall seek to minimize costs for the general class of ratepayers, ensuring that the project developer has a significant share of the financial burden and risk, while ensuring the development of projects that benefit Connecticut's economy, ratepayers, and environment. The [Clean Energy Finance and Investment Authority] Connecticut Green Bank may in its discretion decline to support a proposed project if the benefits of such project to Connecticut's ratepayers, economy and environment, including emissions reductions, are too meager to justify ratepayer or taxpayer investment.
(b) The [Clean Energy Finance and Investment Authority] Connecticut Green Bank shall establish a [three-year] five-year pilot program to support through loans, grants or power purchase agreements sustainable practices and economic prosperity of Connecticut farms and other businesses by using organic waste with on-site anaerobic digestion facilities to generate electricity and heat. As part of the pilot program, said [authority] bank may approve no more than five projects, each of which shall have a maximum size of three megawatts at a cost of four hundred fifty dollars per kilowatt.
(c) On or before January 1, 2016, the [Clean Energy Finance and Investment Authority] Connecticut Green Bank shall report, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a of the general statutes, to the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to energy regarding the program established pursuant to subsection (a) of this section and whether such program should continue. On or before January 1, 2018, the Connecticut Green Bank shall report, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a of the general statutes, to the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to energy regarding the program established pursuant to subsection (b) of this section and whether such program should continue.
(d) The [Clean Energy Finance and Investment Authority] Connecticut Green Bank shall allocate four million dollars annually from the Clean Energy Fund, provided two million dollars shall be allocated for combined heat and power projects and two million dollars shall be allocated for anaerobic digestion projects.