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 solar (including whether large installations should involve forest clearing); a study of tax implications for a nonresidential energy solutions program; subsidies for new electricity demand; energy and water efficiency requirements for artificial‑intelligence data centers; a Connecticut Energy Data Access Bill of Rights; and legislation concerning regulation of public utilities. Representative Mary Mushinsky asked whether concept 3 would address cutting down forests for solar; Steinberg said the item is at a preliminary stage and that specifics would be addressed in hearings.

Three placeholder concept bills — (9) an act concerning energy, (10) an act concerning telecommunications, and (11) an act concerning water utility systems — required roll call votes. Committee clerks conducted roll calls for those three items; the transcript records individual yes/no votes and several members saying they would keep votes open until 1:30 p.m. The chair reiterated multiple times that recorded votes would remain open through 1:30 p.m.

Committee leaders said the intent of grouped concept bills and placeholders is to provide vehicles to consider ideas that emerge early in the session and to reduce duplicative filings. Some members voiced concern about “empty vessel” or placeholder bills; Representative Buckley said he could not support placeholder bills absent a concrete proposal, while the chair said he would not permit inappropriate last‑minute insertions and pledged bipartisan handling of any uses of those vehicles.

Practical details and next steps: the committee announced an informational forum with state agencies and ISO New England to explain roles and relationships among energy regulators and operators; the first public hearing on the concepts is scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 4, at 10:30 a.m. in Room 1D. The clerks will keep votes open until 1:30 p.m. and record absentee or delayed votes as needed.

Votes at a glance

- Referral motions for agenda items 1–5 (referrals to the committees noted on the agenda): motion made and seconded; voice votes taken; votes to remain open until 1:30 p.m. (final individual tallies recorded by clerks in the transcript). - Concepts 1–8 (raise concept motions): passed by voice vote; will proceed to public hearing. - Concept 9 (placeholder: act concerning energy): passed on roll call (individual member votes recorded in committee roll call transcript). - Concept 10 (placeholder: act concerning telecommunications): passed on roll call (individual member votes recorded in committee roll call transcript). - Concept 11 (placeholder: act concerning water utility systems): passed on roll call (individual member votes recorded in committee roll call transcript).

The committee did not adopt substantive legislation at the meeting; the actions were procedural (raising concepts, referring items to other committees, and approving placeholder bills) to move topics into the committee’s hearing schedule.

Ending

Committee leaders asked members and the public to prepare for upcoming hearings and noted staff and clerks would manage roll calls and any outstanding votes before the 1:30 p.m. deadline. The committee recessed and scheduled the informational forum with state agencies and ISO New England for the next committee meeting.