DEEP urges lawmakers to approve broad climate, energy and resilience package

Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) leaders told the Environment Committee on Oct. 27 that they support a broad package of bills aimed at cutting greenhouse gas emissions and expanding resilience funding and clean-energy deployment. DEEP Commissioner Katie Dykes told lawmakers she backed the governor—s climate bill and the suite of proposals in House Bill 5004 as a set of practical steps to reduce emissions while lowering consumer energy costs and protecting public safety.

Dykes said the bills include measures DEEP has urged for years: economywide targets tied to planning, improved permitting predictability, and programs to accelerate electrification and efficient heating and cooling. "Climate change is impacting communities," she told the panel, urging lawmakers to approve measures that pair greenhouse gas reductions with affordability…