2023 Connecticut General Statutes › Title 16a - Planning and Energy Policy › Chapter 295 - Energy Planning › Section 16a-3b. - Implementation of the Integrated Resources Plan.

(a) The Public Utilities Regulatory Authority shall oversee the implementation of the Integrated Resources Plan and the Procurement Plan. The electric distribution companies shall implement the demand-side measures, including, but not limited to, energy efficiency, load management, demand response, combined heat and power facilities, distributed generation and other emerging energy technologies, specified in the Integrated Resources Plan and included in the comprehensive Conservation and Load Management Plan approved by the Energy Conservation Management Board and the Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection. The electric distribution companies shall submit proposals to appropriate regulatory agencies to address transmission and distribution upgrades as specified in the Integrated Resources Plan.
(b) When the Integrated Resources Plan contains an option to procure new sources of generation, the authority shall develop and issue a request for proposals, shall publish such request for proposals in one or more newspapers or periodicals, as selected by the authority, and shall post such request for proposals on its Internet web site. In considering proposals submitted pursuant to such request, the authority shall give preference to proposals for generation without any financial assistance, including, but not limited to, long-term contract financing or ratepayer guarantees. Pursuant to a nondisclosure agreement, the authority shall make available to the Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection, the Office of Consumer Counsel and the Attorney General all confidential bid information it receives pursuant to this subsection, provided the bids and any analysis of such bids shall not be subject to disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act. Three months after the authority issues a final decision, it shall make available all financial bid information, provided such information regarding the bidders not selected be presented in a manner that conceals the identities of such bidders.
(1) On and after July 1, 2008, an electric distribution company may submit proposals in response to a request for proposals on the same basis as other respondents to the solicitation. A proposal submitted by an electric distribution company shall include its full projected costs such that any project costs recovered from or defrayed by ratepayers are included in the projected costs. An electric distribution company submitting any such bid shall demonstrate to the satisfaction of the authority that its bid is not supported in any form of cross subsidization by affiliated entities. If the authority approves such electric distribution company's proposal, the costs and revenues of such proposal shall not be included in calculating such company's earning for purposes of, or in determining whether its rates are just and reasonable under, sections 16-19, 16-19a and 16-19e. An electric distribution company shall not recover more than the full costs identified in any approved proposal. Affiliates of the electric distribution company may submit proposals pursuant to section 16-244h, regulations adopted pursuant to section 16-244h and other requirements the authority may impose.
(2) If the authority selects a nonelectric distribution company proposal, an electric distribution company shall, within thirty days of the selection of a proposal by the authority, negotiate in good faith the final terms of a contract with a generating facility and shall apply to the authority for approval of such contract. Upon authority approval, the electric distribution company shall enter into such contract.
(3) The authority shall determine the appropriate manner of cost recovery for proposals selected pursuant to this section.
(4) The authority may retain the services of a third-party entity with expertise in the area of energy procurement to oversee the development of the request for proposals and to assist the authority in its approval of proposals pursuant to this section. The reasonable and proper expenses for retaining such third-party entity shall be recoverable through the generation services charge.
(c) The electric distribution companies shall issue requests for proposals to acquire any other resource needs not identified in subsection (a) or (b) of this section but specified in the Integrated Resources Plan approved by the Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection pursuant to section 16a-3a. Such requests for proposals shall be subject to approval by the authority.
(P.A. 07-242, S. 52; P.A. 11-80, S. 1, 39; P.A. 13-298, S. 21.)
History: P.A. 07-242 effective June 4, 2007; P.A. 11-80 amended Subsec. (a) to change entity to oversee implementation from Department of Public Utility Control to Public Utilities Regulatory Authority, to change “procurement plan” to “integrated resources plan” and “plan”, and to change approving authority from Department of Public Utility Control to Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection, amended Subsec. (b) to change “procurement plan” to “integrated resources plan” and “department” to “authority”, and amended Subsec. (c) to change “procurement plan” to “integrated resources plan”, to change approving authority from Department of Public Utility Control to Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection and to change “department” to “authority”, effective July 1, 2011; P.A. 13-298 amended Subsec. (a) to delete provision re approval of integrated resources plan by commissioner and to add reference to Procurement Plan and provision re approved Conservation and Load Management Plan, amended Subsec. (b) to replace provision re construction of generating facility with provision re option to procure new sources of generation, to require authority to give preference to proposals for generation without financial assistance and to add reference to commissioner re availability of confidential bid information, and made technical and conforming changes, effective July 8, 2013.