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Connecticut
Related Links
Definitions
Planning and Measurement | Targets and Caps | Reporting | Power Sector | Transportation Sector
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Planning and Measurement
State Advisory Board
Status: Completed
Details: The Governor's Steering Committee (GSC) leads Connecticut's climate change initiative and meets quarterly.
Public Act 07-242, An Act Concerning Electricity and Energy Efficiency, reconstituted the Connecticut Energy Advisory Board (CEAB) and modified its mission as of June, 2007. HB 7432, signed into law on June 4, 2007, required the CEAB to develop recommendations, by January 1, 2008, on how to meet state and regional GHG emission goals. CEAB must submit its recommendations to the Energy and Technology Committee by January 1, 2009.
- http://ctclimatechange.com/GSC.html
- http://www.ctenergy.org/
- http://www.cga.ct.gov/2007/AMD/H/2007HB-07432-R00HA-AMD.htm
Regional Initiatives
Status: Completed
Details: Member of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI). RGGI is a cooperative effort by Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic states to establish a regional cap-and-trade program initially covering carbon dioxide emissions from power plants in the region.
On March 17, 2008, participating states announced plans for a carbon dioxide allowance auction to be held September 25, 2008, as part of a cap-and-trade program to take effect beginning January 1, 2009. Some legislative approvals are still pending before the first-of-its-kind auction will take place on behalf of all 10 states. Under Public Act No. 08-98, signed into law on June 2, 2008, state agencies could use up to 7.5 percent of the proceeds from the auction to help pay for the cost of designing and studying new policies aimed at cutting emissions. HB 7432, signed into law on June 4, 2007, requires CT Department of Environmental Protection to adopt regulations to implement RGGI.
In 2001, New England Governors and Eastern Canadian Premiers (NEG/ECP) released a Climate Action Plan which establishes regional goals and identifies steps to address those aspects of global warming which are within the region's control.On March 17, 2008, participating states announced plans for a carbon dioxide allowance auction to be held September 10, 2008, as part of a cap-and-trade program to take effect beginning January 1, 2009. Some legislative approvals are still pending before the first-of-its-kind auction will take place on behalf of all 10 states. Under Public Act No. 08-98, signed into law on June 2, 2008, state agencies could use up to 7.5 percent of the proceeds from the auction to help pay for the cost of designing and studying new policies aimed at cutting emissions. HB 7432, signed into law on June 4, 2007, requires CT Department of Environmental Protection to adopt regulations to implement RGGI.
In 2001, New England Governors and Eastern Canadian Premiers (NEG/ECP) released a Climate Action Plan which establishes regional goals and identifies steps to address those aspects of global warming which are within the region's control.
- http://www.rggi.org/
- http://www.ct.gov/governorrell/cwp/view.asp?A=3293&Q=418848
- http://www.cga.ct.gov/2008/ACT/PA/2008PA-00098-R00HB-05600-PA.htm
GHG Inventory
Status: Completed
Details: Signed into law on June 2, 2008, Public Act No. 08-98 ("An Act Concerning Connecticut Global Warming Solutions") requires state agencies to calculate and list greenhouse gases produced in the state.
GHG inventory updated in July 2006 pursuant to Public Act 04-252, which requires the statewide greenhouse gas emissions inventory to be updated every three years.
CT completed a GHG inventory for years 1990 to 2000 in 2003, data from which was used by the Northeast States for Coordinated Air Use Management (NESCAUM) to develop a regional GHG inventory for the New England states in 2004.
- http://www.cga.ct.gov/2008/ACT/PA/2008PA-00098-R00HB-05600-PA.htm
- http://www.ctclimatechange.com/ct_inventory.html
- http://www.ctclimatechange.com/documents/FinalCT-2006-Inventory-V5.pdf
Climate Change Action Plan
Status: Completed/Further Work In Progress
Details: Public Act No. 07-242 (HB 7432), signed by the Governor in June, 2007, requires the Clean Energy Advisory Board (CEAB) to develop recommendations by January 1, 2008, on how to meet state and regional GHG emission goals. CEAB must submit its recommendations to the Energy and Technology Committee by January 1, 2009.
On February 15, 2005, the Governor's Steering Committee on Climate Change submitted the Connecticut Climate Change Action Plan to the General Assembly, fulfilling the requirements of PA 04-252. The goal is to reduce GHG emissions to 1990 levels by the year 2010 and an additional 10% below that by the year 2020. CT is listed as a signatory to the New England Governors and Eastern Canadian Premiers (NEG/ECP) regional Climate Change Action Plan 2001.
- http://www.cga.ct.gov/2007/ACT/PA/2007PA-00242-R00HB-07432-PA.htm
- http://ctclimatechange.com/StateActionPlan.html
Targets and Caps
Lead by Example Target
Status: No Activity Identified
Statewide GHG Target
Status: Completed
Details: On June 2, 2008, Governor Jodi Rell signed into law HB5600, setting a statewide GHG reduction target of 10% below 1990 levels by 2020 and 80% below 2001 levels by 2050. In 2004, the Governor signed SB595 to formally adopt the goals of the New England Governors and Eastern Canadian Premiers (NEG-ECP) Action Plan, to which Connecticut is a signatory. The NEG-ECP calls for the following GHG targets: 1990 emission levels by 2010, 10% below 1990 levels by 2020, and further reductions in the long term as needed to prevent a dangerous threat to the climate.
- http://www.cga.ct.gov/2008/ACT/PA/2008PA-00098-R00HB-05600-PA.htm
- http://www.cga.ct.gov/2004/act/Pa/2004PA-00252-R00SB-00595-PA.htm
- http://www.negc.org/documents/NEG-ECP%20CCAP.PDF
Statewide GHG Cap
Status: Completed
Details: Signed into law on June 2, 2008, Public Act No. 08-98 ("An Act Concerning Connecticut Global Warming Solutions") makes mandatory the emissions targets first approved by the legislature in 2004. The measure requires that emissions of greenhouse gases in the state be cut to at least 10% below their 1990 levels by 2020 and to 80% below 2001 levels by 2050.
Reporting
Electricity Disclosure
Status: Completed
Details: Under Connecticut's 1998 restructuring law (P.A. 98-28) and legislation enacted in June 2003 (P.A. 03-135), electricity suppliers and IOUs must disclose information on air emissions and resource mix of generation facilities to the Department of Public Utility Control.
GHG Registry
Status: In Progress
Details: Connecticut is a member of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), under which entities in the power sector will be required to report (and reduce) their GHG emissions. RGGI's first compliance period will begin January 1, 2009. Connecticut is developing implementation rules for the state's participation in RGGI.
Member of The Climate Registry - a collaboration aimed at developing and managing a common GHG emissions reporting system across states, provinces, and tribes. It will provide an accurate, complete, consistent, transparent, and verified set of GHG emissions data from reporting entities, supported by a robust accounting and verification infrastructure. Members released a final General Reporting Protocol in May 2008. The Climate Registry plans to start accepting data in summer 2008.
Mandatory GHG Reporting
Status: Completed
Details: Connecticut is a member of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), under which entities in the power sector will be required to report (and reduce) their GHG emissions. RGGI's first compliance period will begin January 1, 2009. CT's implementation rules for the state's participation in RGGI became effective July 23, 2008.
CT Act 04-252 (SB 595) - An Act Concerning Climate Change (June 2004) - requires facilities to report GHG emissions. Connecticut sources (initially, units at Title V sources) began mandatory reporting of annual GHG emissions in April 2006.
- http://www.cga.ct.gov/2004/act/Pa/2004PA-00252-R00SB-00595-PA.htm
- http://www.ct.gov/dep/cwp/view.asp?a=2684&q=332278&depNav_GID=1619
- http://www.rggi.org/docs/program_summary_10_07.pdf
Power Sector
CO2 Offset Requirements
Status: No Activity Identified
GHG Performance Standard
Status: No Activity Identified
Advanced Coal Technology
Status: No Activity Identified
Power Sector GHG Cap and Trade
Status: Completed
Details: Member of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI). RGGI is a cooperative effort by Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic states to establish a regional cap-and-trade program initially covering carbon dioxide emissions from power plants in the region. CT's implementation rules for the state's participation in RGGI became effective July 23, 2008. On March 17, 2008, participating states announced plans for a carbon dioxide allowance auction to be held September 25, 2008, as part of a cap-and-trade program to take effect beginning January 1, 2009. Connecticut will participate in the September 25, 2008, auction. In Connecticut, the Department of Environmental Protection, in consultation with the Department of Public Utility Control, will auction all of the emission allowances and invest the proceeds in electric conservation and load management and Class I renewable energy programs for the benefit of electric ratepayers. Connecticut's CO2 base budget will be allocated as follows: 1.5 percent to to the Voluntary Clean Energy Purchase Set-aside Account; 3.5 percent to the Customer-side Distributed Resources (CDR) Set-aside Account; 5 percent to the Combined Heat and Power (CHP) Useful Thermal Energy Set-aside Account; up to 13 percent to the Combined Heat and Power (CHP) Longterm PPA Set-aside Account; and a minimum 77 percent to the Connecticut Auction Account.
- http://www.ct.gov/dep/lib/dep/air/regulations/mainregs/22a-174-31.pdf
- http://www.ct.gov/dep/cwp/view.asp?a=2684&q=332278&depNav_GID=1619
- http://www.rggi.org/
Transportation Sector
GHG Auto Standards
Status: In Progress
Details: In 2005, CT Department of Environmental Protection adopted the California rule for automobile GHG emissions. On January 2, 2008, California filed a lawsuit challenging the U.S. EPA's denial of the state's effort to regulate GHG emissions from motor vehicles, in response to EPA's rejection of a petition for a Clean Air Act waiver on December 19, 2007. A waiver is required for California and other states to implement a vehicle emissions standard tougher than the federal one. The proposed auto standard calls for the reduction of GHG emissions from new vehicles of 22% by 2012 and 30% by 2016.
- http://www.ct.gov/governorrell/cwp/view.asp?A=1761&Q=307886
- http://www.cga.ct.gov/2004/act/Pa/2004PA-00084-R00SB-00119-PA.htm
- http://gov.ca.gov/press-release/8400/
Low Carbon Fuel Standard
Status: No Activity Identified