SB 306 — AN ACT CONCERNING ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND COMPREHENSIVE ENERGY STRATEGY.

Substitute Senate GeneralBill Assembly File No.

347306 FebruaryPublic Session,Act 2026 Substitute Senate Bill No.

30626-121 Senate,AN AprilACT 2,CONCERNING 2026ECONOMIC TheDEVELOPMENT CommitteeAND onCOMPREHENSIVE CommerceENERGY reportedSTRATEGY. through SEN.

HARTLEY of the 15th Dist., Chairperson of the Committee on the part of the Senate, that the substitute bill ought to pass.

AN ACT CONCERNING ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND COMPREHENSIVE ENERGY STRATEGY.

(a) On or before October 1, 2020, and every four years thereafter, the Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection,Protection shall prepare a Comprehensive Energy Strategy in consultation with the (1) Commissioner of Economic and Community Development, shall(2) prepareCommissioners aof ComprehensiveAgriculture, EnergyHousing Strategy.and Transportation, or said commissioners' designees, (3) Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management, or the secretary's designee, (4) Consumer Counsel, or the Consumer Counsel's designee, (5) chairperson of the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority, or the chairperson's designee, and (6) chief executive officer of the Connecticut Green Bank, or the chief executive officer's designee.

(b) Said strategy shall reflect the legislative findings and policy stated in section 16a-35k, provide any analysis and recommendations necessary to guide the state's energy policy to meet greenhouse gas emission reduction requirements, as established in section 22a-200a, in theSubstitute mostSenate cost-Bill effective manner and incorporate (1) an assessment and plan for all energy needs in the state, including, but not limited to, electricity, heating, cooling, and transportation, (2) the findings of the Integrated ResourcesPlan, (3)thefindingsoftheplanforenergyefficiencyadopted sSB306 / File No.

347306 1the sSB306most Filecost-effective No.manner and incorporate (1) an assessment and plan for all energy needs in the state, including, but not limited to, electricity, heating, cooling, and transportation, (2) the findings of the Integrated Resources Plan, (3) the findings of the plan for energy efficiency adopted pursuant to section 16-245m, (4) the findings of the plan for renewable energy adopted pursuant to section 16-245n, and (5) the Energy Assurance Plan developed for the state of Connecticut pursuant to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, P.L.

347 pursuant to section 16-245m, (4) the findings of the plan for renewable energy adopted pursuant to section 16-245n, and (5) the Energy Assurance Plan developed for the state of Connecticut pursuant to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, P.L.

Said strategy shall further include, but not be limited to, (A) an assessment of current energy supplies, demand and costs, (B) identification and evaluation of the factors likely to affect future energy supplies, demand and costs, (C) a statement of progress made toward achieving the goals and milestones set in the preceding Comprehensive Energy Strategy, (D) a statement of energy policies and long-range energy planning objectives and strategies appropriate to achieve, the state's greenhouse gas reduction goals established in section 22a-200a, a soundsoundeconomy,theleast-costmixofenergysupplysourcestomeetsaid economy, the least-cost mix of energy supply sources to meet said goals and measures that reduce demand for energy, giving due regard to such factorsasconsumerpriceimpacts,securityanddiversityoffuelsuppliesfactors as consumer price impacts, security and diversity of fuel supplies and energy generating methods, protection of public health and safety, environmental goals and standards, conservation of energy and energy resources and the ability of the state to compete economically, (E) recommendations for administrative and legislative actions to implement such policies, objectives and strategies, (F) an assessment of the potential costs savings and benefits to ratepayers, including, but not limited to, carbon dioxide emissions reductions or voluntary joint ventures to repower some or all of the state's coal-fired and oil-fired generation facilities built before 1990, (G) the benefits, costs, obstacles and solutions related to the expansion and use and availabilityavailabilityofnaturalgasinConnecticut,and(H)astrategyforensuring of natural gas in Connecticut, and (H) a strategy for ensuring the state's energy efficiency goals are met.

(b)Public InAct adoptingNo. the Comprehensive Energy Strategy, the Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection shall conduct a proceeding that shall not be considered a contested case under chapter 54, but shall include not less than one public meeting and one technical meeting at which technical personnel shall be available to answer questions.

Such26-121 meetings2 shallof be5 transcribedSubstitute andSenate postedBill on the sSB306 / File No.

347306 2[(b)] sSB306(c) FileIn No.adopting the Comprehensive Energy Strategy, the Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection shall conduct a proceeding that shall not be considered a contested case under chapter 54, but shall include not less than one public meeting and one technical meeting at which technical personnel shall be available to answer questions.

347Such meetings shall be transcribed and posted on the department's Internet web site.

The Public UtilitiesAct RegulatoryNo. Authority shall comment on the strategy's impact on natural gas and electric rates.

(c)26-121 The3 Commissioner of Energy5 andSubstitute EnvironmentalSenate ProtectionBill shallNo. submit the final Comprehensive Energy Strategy electronically to the joint standing committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to energy and the environment and commerce.

(d)306 ThePublic CommissionerUtilities ofRegulatory EnergyAuthority andshall Environmentalcomment Protectionon maythe sSB306strategy's /impact Fileon No.natural gas and electric rates.

347[(c)] 3(d) sSB306The FileCommissioner No.of Energy and Environmental Protection shall submit the final Comprehensive Energy Strategy electronically to the joint standing committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to energy, [and] the environment and commerce.

347[(d)] (e) The Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection may modify the Comprehensive Energy Strategy in accordance withwiththe the procedures outlined in subsections (b)[(b)] (c) and (c)[(c)] (d) of this section.

(e)[(e)] (f) For the Comprehensive Energy Strategy next approved after October 1, [2021] 2026, and every Comprehensive Energy Strategy prepared thereafter, the Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection, in consultation with the Commissionerpersons ofdescribed Economicin andsubsection Community(a) Development,of this section, shall consider (1) the reductions in greenhouse gas emissions resulting from low-carbon fuel blends used in home heating oil on a life-cycle basis, (2) possible contributions to the state's greenhouse gas emissions mandated levels, pursuant to section 22a-200a,22a- 200a, in connection with the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions on a life-cycle basis, (3) the ability of a thermal portfolio standard to further reductions in greenhouse gas emissions on a life-cycle basis, and (4) the relative value of the reductions in greenhouse gas emissions on a life-cyclelife- cycle basis achieved by biodiesel and other low-carbon fuel blends used currently in the state compared with the value of future projected greenhouse gas emissions reductions achieved by the retail heating oil industry on a life-cycle basis five, ten, and twenty years into the future using the Department of Energy and Environmental Protections' contemporaneous projection of renewable energy utilized.

ThisPublic actAct shallNo. take effect as follows and shall amend the following sections:

Section26-121 14 Octoberof 1,5 2026Substitute 16a-3dSenate StatementBill ofNo. Legislative Commissioners:

In306 Subsec.Governor's Action:

(e),Approved "OctoberJune 1,2, 2021"2026 wasPublic changedAct toNo. "October 1, [2021] 2026" for accuracy.

CE26-121 Joint5 Favorableof Subst.5

-LCO sSB306 / File No.

347 4 sSB306 File No.

347 The following Fiscal Impact Statement and Bill Analysis are prepared for the benefit of the members of the General Assembly, solely for purposes of information, summarization and explanation and do not represent the intent of the General Assembly or either chamber thereof for any purpose.

In general, fiscal impacts are based upon a variety of informational sources, including the analyst’s professional knowledge.

Whenever applicable, agency data is consulted as part of the analysis, however final products do not necessarily reflect an assessment from any specific department.

OFA Fiscal Note State Impact:

None Municipal Impact:

None Explanation The bill has no fiscal impact by requiring the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection to consult with the Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD) when preparing the state’s comprehensive energy strategy.

It is anticipated that DECD can provide consultation on the strategy within existing resources.

The Out Years State Impact:

None Municipal Impact:

None sSB306 / File No.

347 5 sSB306 File No.

347 OLR Bill Analysis SB 306 AN ACT CONCERNING ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND COMPREHENSIVE ENERGY STRATEGY.

SUMMARY This bill requires the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) commissioner to consult with the Department of Economic and Community Development commissioner when preparing the state’s comprehensive energy strategy.