Connecticut General Statutes 16-244y – Fuel cell electricity generation. Soliciation of proposals to aquire new fuel cell electricity generation projects with associated tariffs
(a) Each electric distribution company shall solicit proposals to acquire new fuel cell electricity generation projects that began operation on or after July 1, 2021. All such projects shall be selected utilizing a competitive process that gives preference to fuel cell electricity generation projects that utilize equipment manufactured in the state or sited on brownfields, as defined in section 32-760, or landfills. On or before January 1, 2022, each electric distribution company shall submit the selected projects and associated tariffs to the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority for approval.
Terms Used In Connecticut General Statutes 16-244y
- Authority: means the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority and "department" means the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. See Connecticut General Statutes 16-1
- Class I renewable energy source: means (A) electricity derived from (i) solar power, (ii) wind power, (iii) a fuel cell, (iv) geothermal, (v) landfill methane gas, anaerobic digestion or other biogas derived from biological sources, (vi) thermal electric direct energy conversion from a certified Class I renewable energy source, (vii) ocean thermal power, (viii) wave or tidal power, (ix) low emission advanced renewable energy conversion technologies, including, but not limited to, zero emission low grade heat power generation systems based on organic oil free rankine, kalina or other similar nonsteam cycles that use waste heat from an industrial or commercial process that does not generate electricity, (x) (I) a run-of-the-river hydropower facility that began operation after July 1, 2003, has a generating capacity of not more than sixty megawatts, is not based on a new dam or a dam identified by the Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection as a candidate for removal, and meets applicable state and federal requirements, including state dam safety requirements and applicable site-specific standards for water quality and fish passage, or (II) a run-of-the-river hydropower facility that received a new license after January 1, 2018, under the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission rules pursuant to 18 C. See Connecticut General Statutes 16-1
- distribution company: means any person providing electric transmission or distribution services within the state, but does not include: (A) A private power producer, as defined in section 16-243b. See Connecticut General Statutes 16-1
- Fiscal year: The fiscal year is the accounting period for the government. For the federal government, this begins on October 1 and ends on September 30. The fiscal year is designated by the calendar year in which it ends; for example, fiscal year 2006 begins on October 1, 2005 and ends on September 30, 2006.
- Gas company: includes every person owning, leasing, maintaining, operating, managing or controlling mains, pipes or other fixtures, in public highways or streets, for the transmission or distribution of gas for sale for heat or power within this state, or engaged in the manufacture of gas to be so transmitted or distributed for such purpose, but shall not include (A) a person manufacturing gas through the use of a biomass gasification plant provided such person does not own, lease, maintain, operate, manage or control mains, pipes or other fixtures in public highways or streets, (B) a municipal gas utility established under chapter 101 or any other gas utility owned, leased, maintained, operated, managed or controlled by any unit of local government under any general statute or any public or special act, or (C) an entity approved to submeter pursuant to section 16-19ff. See Connecticut General Statutes 16-1
(b) On or before August 1, 2021, all electric distribution companies shall jointly file with the authority for approval a proposed tariff for use in the solicitation authorized in subsection (a) of this section. The facilities acquired under this section shall not exceed a total nameplate capacity rating of thirty megawatts in the aggregate apportioned among each electric distribution company in proportion to distribution load. Any proposed projects submitted by an electric distribution company shall include the electric distribution company’s full projected costs and shall demonstrate to the authority that such facility is not supported in any form of cross subsidization by affiliated entities, except that the costs associated with those benefits which the authority determines that a proposed fuel cell project confers on the natural gas system may be recovered from all gas customers through the purchased gas adjustment clause established pursuant to section 16-19b and such costs shall be apportioned relative to the revenues of each gas company as reported to the authority pursuant to section 16-49 for the most recent fiscal year.
(c) The authority may approve any such projects for the purpose of (1) providing commercial or industrial electric or gas customers with on-site generation that increases power quality or resilience, as defined in section 16-243y, or reduces energy costs for such customers, (2) providing emergency service facilities or commercial or industrial electric or gas customers with back-up power, or (3) enhancing distribution system reliability, including, but not limited to, electric voltage or frequency improvements, support of microgrids or other measures that support electric or gas system resiliency. The authority shall evaluate any projects submitted pursuant to this section in a manner that is consistent with the provisions of sections 16-19 and 16-19e.
(d) The costs prudently incurred by an electric distribution company under this section shall be recovered from all customers of the electric distribution company through a fully reconciling component of electric rates for all customers of the electric distribution company, until the electric distribution company’s next rate case, at which time any costs and investments for new fuel cell generation owned by the electric distribution company pursuant to this section may be recoverable through base distribution rates, as determined by the authority. Nothing in this section shall preclude the resale or other disposition of any energy products, capacity and associated environmental attributes purchased by the electric distribution company, if so ordered by the authority. The electric distribution company may use any energy products, capacity and environmental attributes produced by such facility to meet the needs of customers served pursuant to section 16-244c, and as determined by the authority. Notwithstanding the provisions of subdivision (1) of subsection (h) of section 16-244c, certificates issued by the New England Power Pool Generation Information System for any Class I renewable energy source acquired pursuant to this section may be retained by the electric distribution company to meet the requirements of section 16-245a, and as determined by the authority.