Connecticut House Bill No. 5600: 

An Act Concerning Connecticut 

Global Warming Solutions 

The following is a summary by Environment Northeast of Connecticut House Bill No. 5600, An Act Concerning 

Connecticut Global Warming Solutions, with a focus on the environmental and energy efficiency elements. The bill 

passed the House 131to 16, the Senate unanimously at 35 to 0, and the bill will go next to Governor Rell to be 

signed into law. The complete act can be found on the CT Legislature’s Web Site, as 

http://www.cga.ct.gov/2008/FC/pdf/2008HB-05600-R000755-FC.pdf. 

High Level Summary 

An Act Concerning Connecticut Global Warming Solutions establishes mandatory greenhouse gas emissions reductions 

consistent with the goals enacted by the legislature in 2004 (PA 04-252). This legislation requires Connecticut’s 

total emissions to be reduced at least: 10% below 1990 levels by 2020 and at 80% below current levels by 2050. 

It also requires state agencies to identify, and report to the Department of Environmental Protection, the Office 

of Policy and Management, and the General Assembly on policies and regulations that could be adopted to 

achieve the emissions cap established in the Act. 

Section 1: 

• Definitions. Of note, “greenhouse gas" means 

any chemical or physical substance that is 

emitted into the air that will cause or contribute 

to climate change, including, but not limited to, 

carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, 

hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons and 

sulfur hexafluoride. 

Section 2: 

• Requires that Connecticut’s total greenhouse gas 

emissions be reduced: 

o 10% below 1990 levels by 2020 

o 80% below 2001 levels by 2050. 

• On or before January 1, 2010 and biannually 

thereafter, the state agencies that are members 

of the existing Governor’s Steering Committee 

on Climate Change (CT Clean Energy Fund 

(CCEF), CT Department of Administrative 

Services (DAS), CT Department of 

Environmental Protection (DEP), CT 

Department of Public Utility Control (DPUC) 

CT Department of Revenue Services, CT 

Department of Transportation (DOT) , CT 

Innovations, Inc., Office of Policy and 

Management (OPM)) shall identify and report 

to DEP, OPM on steps that the agencies have 

taken and the policies and regulations that could 

be adopted to achieve the emissions caps 

established in this bill and accounting of the 

progress that has been made in achieving the 

mandated reductions. 

• Not later than January 1, 2012 and every three 

years thereafter, DEP with OPM and the 

Governor’s Steering Committee on Climate 

Change shall report to the relevant committees 

of the General Assembly on the quantifiable 

emissions reductions already achieved. The 

report shall include a schedule of proposed 

regulations, policies and strategies designed to 

achieve the limits on greenhouse gas emissions, 

an assessment of the latest scientific 

information and relevant data regarding global 

climate change and the status of greenhouse gas 

emission reduction efforts in other states and 

countries. 

• At least one year prior to the effective date of 

any federally mandated greenhouse gas cap and 

trade program, DEP and OPM shall report to 

the General Assembly on the differences 

between federal and state requirements and shall 

identify any further regulatory or legislative 

actions needed to achieve consistency. 

Section 3: 
Page 2 

• DEP, with the advice and assistance of a 

nonprofit association organized to provide 

scientific, technical, analytical and policy 

support to the air quality and climate programs 

of northeastern states, will: 

o Not later than December 1, 2009, 

publish an inventory of greenhouse gas 

emissions to establish a baseline for 

such emissions for the state and publish 

a summary of greenhouse gas emission 

reduction strategies on the DEP web 

site; 

o Not later than July 1, 2010, publish 

results of various modeling scenarios 

concerning greenhouse gas emissions, 

including, but not limited to, an 

evaluation of the potential economic 

and environmental benefits and 

opportunities for economic growth 

based on such scenarios; 

o Not later than July 1, 2011, analyze 

greenhouse gas emission reduction 

strategies and, after an opportunity for 

public comment, make 

recommendations on which such 

strategies will most cost effectively 

achieve the greenhouse gas emission 

levels specified in this act. 

o Not later than July 1, 2012, and every 

three years thereafter, DEP will develop 

a schedule of recommended regulatory 

actions by relevant agencies, policies 

and other actions necessary to show 

reasonable further progress towards 

achieving the greenhouse gas emission 

levels specified in this act. There will be 

an opportunity for public comment 

throughout this process. 

Section 4: 

• Authorizes the use of 7.5% administrative costs 

already allocated to DEP from the Regional 

Greenhouse Gas Initiative auction revenue to 

pay for reasonable administrative costs of state 

agency adoption of regulations to achieve the 

emissions caps in this act. 

Section 5: 

• Requires DEP to monitor development of lowcarbon fuels standards by other states and 

jurisdictions and assess whether the framework 

measures the full lifecycle of greenhouse gas 

emissions, including direct and indirect 

emissions of greenhouse gas caused by changes 

in land and other factors. 

• Requires DOT, within available appropriations, 

to investigate expansion of high-speed and lightrail passenger and freight train service. 

• Authorizes DEP to investigate market-based 

compliance mechanisms to achieve greenhouse 

gas emissions reductions. 

Section 6: 

• Authorizes DEP to use sixty percent of 

revenues from the existing Clean Air Act 

Account to implement the provisions of this 

act. 

Section 7: 

• Directs the Governor’s Steering Committee on 

Climate Change to establish a subcommittee to 

assess climate change impacts on the state and 

recommend measures to mitigate such impacts. 

Section 8: 

• Authorizes a technical change clarifying the 

Commissioner of DEP’s authority to work with 

nonprofit corporations “created for purpose of 

facilitating the state’s implementation of multistate air pollution control programs.” 

21 Oak Street, Suite 202 Hartford CT 06106 860-246-7121 or 860-983-4046

Rockport, ME / Portland, ME / Boston, MA / Providence, RI / Hartford, 

CT/ Charlottetown PEI, Canada 

www.env-ne.org 

Environment Northeast is a nonprofit research and advocacy organization focusing on the Northeastern United States and Eastern Canada. Our mission is to address 

large-scale environmental challenges that threaten regional ecosystems, human health, or the management of significant natural resources. We use policy analysis, 

collaborative problem solving, and advocacy to advance the environmental and economic sustainability of the region.