Green Bank outlines 2026 session results: energy omnibus, school‑bus electrification and storage targets

James DeSantis, the Green Bank’s legislative liaison, briefed the board on the outcomes of Connecticut’s short 2026 legislative session and the bills most relevant to the Bank’s mission. James said the short session was unusually brief but consequential: “The 2026 short session was the shortest in Connecticut history… and a lot happened.” He told the board the Green Bank tracked over 60 bills, submitted testimony on more than 15 and negotiated language on roughly 15 pieces of legislation.

James highlighted a consumer protection task force bill (identified as “2616” in the summary) that adds consumer‑safety work and a DOT implementer bill that includes zero‑emission school bus deployment targets and municipal transition plans tied to deadlines (municipal transition plans due 2029 for distressed municipalities and 2035 for the remainder). He said the bill changes certain terminology (environmental justice → distressed municipalities) and decouples state program requirements from federal matching rules.

The session also produced an energy omnibus that James described as a major success for financing and deployment: it establishes successor programs modeled on PURA docket recommendations, creates a 7‑year runway through 2035 for tariff terms, and sets annual targets (an example provided was 180 MW per year with an $85 million per year spending target for select programs, with spending taking precedence over MW targets). The omnibus includes two Green Bank additions: residential storage paired with energy projects (excluded from the main spending/megawatt targets if PURA determines they provide ratepayer benefits) and a statutory requirement that PURA adopt an allocation methodology and an initial ESS target of 580 MW by Dec. 31, 2031.

James also flagged Section 7 of the energy omnibus, which creates a $2 million pilot administered by the Green Bank for residential storage for customers participating in RS or RSIP programs; the pilot is to be reported to the environment committees by Feb. 1, 2028, with a work group to analyze results and recommend successor program design ahead of the 2029 legislative session.

Why it matters: The omnibus and associated bills provide multiyear policy certainty for program design (tariffs, spending targets and storage prioritization), expand the Green Bank’s statutory responsibilities and create a clear role for the Bank in administering a residential storage pilot that could affect project pipelines and R&D expenditures.