Clean Energy, Comprehensive Energy Strategy, Natural Gas & Fracking
CLEAN ENERGY
Connecticut has some of our nation’s highest energy costs. These high bills place immense financial burden on Connecticut residents and businesses. However, there are things we can do to cut down on this burden, including making bigger investments in energy efficiency and encouraging the use of renewable energy sources.
Not only do these options save money for families and businesses and generate local jobs, but they also lower the amount of greenhouse gases emitted and improve our air quality. There are several bills being considered by the legislature that would make energy efficiency a priority and encourage the use of renewable resources. These bills include:
- H.B. 5591: AAC On-Bill Financing for Energy-Related Technology Upgrades
- H.B. 5793: AAC Energy Efficiency of Buildings
- S.B. 82: AAC Energy Assistance Programs for Low-Income Customers
- S.B. 146: AAC Property Tax Exemptions for Renewable Energy Sources
- S.B. 203: AAC Property Tax Exemptions for Renewable Energy Sources
- S.B. 542: AAC Low-Interest Loan Programs for Residential Oil Tank, Furnace, and Boiler Replacements
COMPREHENSIVE ENERGY STRATEGY
While other states are treading water or moving backwards, the Governor’s Comprehensive Energy Strategy is moving the state forward towards a cleaner energy future. The CES contains a robust commitment to incentivizing energy efficiency. Below are the implementation bills for the CES:
- H.B. 6360: AAC Implementation of Connecticut’s Comprehensive Energy Strategy
- S.B. 839: AAC Statutory Changes to Advance Connecticut’s Energy Policies
NATURAL GAS
Many of the policies supported by the Governor’s Comprehensive Energy Strategy would lead to reductions in greenhouse gases and local pollutants at little or no cost. Expanding the use of natural gas can be one of those policies if implementation includes an evaluation of the economic and environmental risks, particularly when compared to other strategies such as energy efficiency.
We are monitoring several bills that look at expanding natural gas use in Connecticut and how to implement the expansion, including:
- H.B. 5589: AA Establishing a Pilot Program for Natural Gas Transportation
- H.B. 6286: AAC Natural Gas Expansion
FRACKING
Hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking”, is the process of drilling and injecting fluid into the ground at a high pressure in order to fracture shale rocks to release natural gas inside.
Photo: AP/David Zalubowski
Unfortunately, this process may contaminate groundwater, and results in large quantities of waste fluid that must be disposed of. As more and more states begin to allow fracking to occur, several bills have been proposed that would ban fracking and its byproducts in the state, including:
- H.B. 5330: AAC Hydraulic Fracturing
- H.B. 5335: AA Banning the Receipt of Hazardous Fracking By-Products in the State
Posted by Rebecca Kaplan, director of communications for CFE/Save the Sound