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CT SB00943

Bill

Status

Passed

7/10/2017

Primary Sponsor

Environment Committee

Click for details

Origin

Senate

2017 General Assembly

AI Summary

  • Establishes definitions for "core forest" (unfragmented forest 300+ feet from non-forest land) and "prime farmland" to guide solar facility siting decisions effective July 1, 2017

  • Requires the Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection to consider environmental impacts including effects on prime farmland and core forests when evaluating renewable energy solicitations, with preference for brownfields and landfills

  • Authorizes $3 million annually for agricultural customer hosts using anaerobic digestion as a renewable energy source, with at least 50% directed to dairy farm facilities that complement nutrient management plans and utilize 100% of farm manure

  • Permits the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection to assist companies in petitioning the Environmental Protection Agency for approval of kelp oil as a biofuel feedstock for heating oil

  • Redefines "resources recovery facility" to specifically mean facilities that combust municipal solid waste for electricity and creates new "waste conversion facility" category for facilities using thermal, chemical, or biological processes to convert solid waste into energy or other products, removing mixed municipal solid waste composting facility provisions

Legislative Description

An Act Concerning The Installation Of Certain Solar Facilities On Productive Farmlands, Incentives For The Use Of Anaerobic Digesters By Agricultural Customer Hosts, Applications Concerning The Use Of Kelp In Certain Biofuels And The Permitting Of Waste Conversion Facilities.

Last Action

Signed by the Governor

7/10/2017

Committee Referrals

Environment3/1/2017

Full Bill Text

No bill text available