Energy & Technology Committee raises 11 concept bills including public‑benefits charge and grid‑scale solar siting; three placeholders pass on roll call

The Connecticut General Assembly’s Energy & Technology Committee at an organizational meeting raised 11 concept bills for public hearing and approved three placeholder bills, moving several energy policy issues into the committee’s formal process.

Representative Jeff Steinberg, cochair, opened the meeting and said the turnout reflected public interest: “I’m beginning to think we need a bigger room,” and described the session as “the beginning of an extended conversation about a lot of things that matter to the people of the state of Connecticut.” Senator Steve Newman (chair) and other committee leaders framed the meeting as an initial step to gather ideas and create broad “buckets” of policy topics for committee hearings.

The committee voted by voice to raise concept bills 1 through 8, which the chair described as a package of subjects the committee will examine in hearings. Those concepts include an act concerning the combined public benefits charge; an act concerning the composition of the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA); an act concerning the siting of grid‑scale…