Hartford, CT: Last night, Connecticut’s legislature passed Senate Bill 10 requiring 100% of the state’s electricity supply come from clean sources by 2040. The House approved SB 10 by a vote of 113-35. Connecticut will become the 12th state, along with DC and Puerto Rico, to pass legislation committing to 100% clean electricity.

Connecticut’s House is also preparing to pass landmark clean transportation legislation today. SB 4 would make Connecticut the 6^th state committed to California’s Advanced Trucks Rule, make major investments in clean electric school buses, offer electric vehicle rebates, and require state owned vehicles to be zero emission. If passed, Connecticut Governor Lamont is expected to sign both bills into law.

Statement by Lori Brown, Executive Director CTLCV:

Speaker Ritter, Majority Leader Rojas, Rep. Arconti, and many others in the House of Representatives deserve credit for their commitment to 100% clean, renewable energy.

The success of these bills in the Senate was due to the strong support of the top legislative leaders – Senate President Martin Looney, Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff, and the chair of the Energy & Technology Committee, Senator Norm Needleman.

One of our top champions in the House, Rep. Christine Palm, summed up the floor debate, stating, “I believe we have the moral,  economic, social and intergenerational responsibility  to look our kids in the eye and say we did everything within our power when we had the chance.  This is our chance. This is the beginning of what we should be doing.  Reducing carbon emissions and greenhouse gasses is just where it starts, and certainly not where it ends.”

At the core of this effort was a commitment to environmental justice and equity. CTLCV worked hard to ensure this legislation benefits the communities most heavily affected by pollution. The lasting impacts of transitioning to clean energy will serve ALL communities for decades to come and this helps create a framework for taking serious action on climate change.

Senate Bill 10: CLIMATE MITIGATION

SB 10 will set a 100% zero carbon target for electricity supplied to Connecticut customers by 2040.  While Connecticut has made considerable progress in decarbonizing our electric grid, we must fully commit to achieving the climate goals set forth in the Global Warming Solutions Act of 2008. The 100% requirement is a signal that Connecticut is serious about addressing carbon emissions and committed to working with our neighboring states to reduce pollution in the region.

We anticipate needing much more electricity than we use today to support clean transportation, heating and cooling of buildings and new industrial uses.  Providing zero-carbon electricity for a much larger demand makes the significance of a zero-carbon electricity sector all the more important. This law will serve as the legal and political basis for the programs, policies, and funding needed to meet our clean energy targets both now and in the future.

Senate Bill 4 (expected to pass tonight): CONNECTICUT CLEAN AIR ACT

SB 4 is a large air quality bill that will reduce transportation emissions in a variety of ways that include a strong focus on equity and environmental justice. Policies outlined in legislation include investing in clean electric school buses for communities across the state; incentivizing electric vehicle and e-bike purchases with rebates; adding electric vehicle charging stations; funding municipal traffic calming measures, and other air quality programs.

The bill phases in the transition of the state-owned vehicle fleets of cars and light duty trucks to fully clean electric vehicles, with 100% EV purchases by 2030. It also requires DOT to set a transportation carbon ”budget”  that aligns with the goals of CT’s Global Warming Solutions Act.

This is a companion bill to the truck emissions standards bill, HB 5039.  Together, they provide the regulations that create the market conditions and the financial investments to help with our transition to clean transportation.

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