NECEC President Peter Rothstein released the following statement in reaction to the energy bill passed by the Connecticut General Assembly today:

“Advancing policy that keeps Connecticut on a sustainable path to a clean energy-based economy is imperative. The legislation passed today by the Connecticut General Assembly (SB-9) contains a robust expansion of the state’s Renewable Portfolio Standard, which will put Connecticut in a leading position in New England as it now mandates 40 percent of electricity to be from renewable energy by 2030.”

“However, SB-9 also included counterproductive provisions that will significantly harm the state’s rooftop solar market. The bill limits customers’ ability to use the power they generate by requiring that it be credited as it’s generated or within a day. Unless the utilities provide customers with metering and communications, and time varying rates, which will give them the information they need to match usage to production, customers will not be able to manage and reduce their energy costs by adopting solar. Net metering, a key driver for residential and commercial solar adoption and the significant job growth that comes with a robust rooftop solar market, will essentially be dismantled. Significant work will be needed to overcome the new barriers to customer adoption of clean energy in Connecticut.”

“NECEC urges the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) and the Public Utility Regulatory Authority (PURA), which is charged with implementing the new solar programs, to work collaboratively with customers and the solar industry to establish cost-effective, fair solar compensation and rate structures that will enable clean energy and solar to continue to flourish in Connecticut.”

“In other areas, NECEC is encouraged to see the extension of the ZREC/LREC program and provisions to move beyond the small shared clean energy facility pilot towards a more significant statewide community shared clean energy program.”

About NECEC

NECEC (Northeast Clean Energy Council & NECEC Institute) is the premier voice of businesses building a world-class clean energy hub in the Northeast, helping clean energy companies start, scale and succeed with our unique business, innovation and policy leadership. NECEC includes the Northeast Clean Energy Council (a nonprofit business member organization), and NECEC Institute (a nonprofit focused on industry research, innovation, policy development and communications initiatives). NECEC brings together business leaders and key stakeholders to engage in influential policy discussions and business initiatives while building connections that propel the clean energy industry forward.