Energy and Technology Committee raises multiple energy concepts, refers seven bills to other committees

Hartford — The Connecticut General Assembly’s Energy and Technology Committee on an expedited agenda voted to draft Senate Bill 647 as a committee bill, refer seven introduced bills to other committees of cognizance and to raise eight policy concepts for public hearing, the panel’s cochairs said at the start of the session.

The actions clear several items for public hearings and further vetting. The committee’s cochair, State Representative Jonathan Steinberg, said the meeting would move quickly and that drafting SB 647 as a committee bill would let the panel hold a focused public hearing on “protections from consumer access to affordable electricity,” the subject as stated in the agenda. The motion to draft SB 647 as a committee bill was moved, seconded and approved by voice vote; committee leadership said votes would remain open until 4 p.m. for absent members.

Why it matters: referral and concept votes send proposals to committees that have the subject-matter expertise to vet legal, fiscal and technical…