SB 1243 Summary

• Establishes the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection effective July 1, 2011, by merging the Department of Environmental Protection with the Department of Public Utility Control and renaming the Public Utilities Control Authority to the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority.

• Reduces the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority from five to three members and restructures governance to place it within the new Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.

• Sets four primary goals for the new department: reducing rates and decreasing costs for ratepayers, ensuring reliability and safety of energy supply, increasing clean energy use and technologies, and developing Connecticut's energy-related economy.

• Creates the Comprehensive Energy Plan requirement to be prepared every three years assessing energy supplies, demand, costs, and strategies for achieving state energy and environmental goals, with specific attention to lowering electricity rates.

• Establishes the Clean Energy Finance and Investment Authority (formerly Renewable Energy Investment Fund) to support development and deployment of clean energy sources, energy efficiency projects, and related infrastructure through financing and investment mechanisms.