2011 Connecticut Code
Title 22a Environmental Protection
Chapter 446c Air Pollution Control
Sec. 22a-200c. Implementation of Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative. Regional Greenhouse Gas account. Auctioning of allowances.

      Sec. 22a-200c. Implementation of Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative. Regional Greenhouse Gas account. Auctioning of allowances. (a) The Commissioner of Environmental Protection shall adopt regulations, in accordance with chapter 54, to implement the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative.

      (b) The Department of Environmental Protection, in consultation with the Department of Public Utility Control, shall auction all emissions allowances and invest the proceeds, which shall be deposited into a Regional Greenhouse Gas account established by the Comptroller as a separate, nonlapsing account within the General Fund, on behalf of electric ratepayers in energy conservation, load management and Class I renewable energy programs. In making such investments, the Commissioner of Environmental Protection shall consider strategies that maximize cost effective reductions in greenhouse gas emission. Allowances shall be auctioned under the oversight of the Department of Public Utility Control and the Department of Environmental Protection by a contractor or trustee on behalf of the electric ratepayers.

      (c) The regulations adopted pursuant to subsection (a) of this section may include provisions to cover the reasonable administrative costs associated with the implementation of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative in Connecticut and to fund assessment and planning of measures to reduce emissions, mitigate the impacts of climate change and to cover the reasonable administrative costs of state agencies associated with the adoption of regulations, plans and policies in accordance with section 22a-200a. Such costs shall not exceed seven and one-half per cent of the total projected allowance value. Such regulations may also set aside a portion of the allowances to support the voluntary renewable energy provisions of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative model rule and combined heat and power.

      (d) Any allowances or allowance value allocated to the energy conservation load management program on behalf of electric ratepayers shall be incorporated into the planning and procurement process in sections 16a-3a and 16a-3b.

      (P.A. 07-242, S. 93; P.A. 08-98, S. 4; Sept. Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-8, S. 36.)

      History: P.A. 07-242 effective July 1, 2007; P.A. 08-98 amended Subsec. (c) to permit allowances to be used to cover certain administrative costs of state agencies; Sept. Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-8 amended Subsec. (b) to add provision re deposit into Regional Greenhouse Gas account, effective October 5, 2009.