CT HB05116

Electric distribution companies serving 17 or fewer towns must create and administer a fund distributing at least $100,000 annually to municipalities for tree planting.

Electric distribution companies serving 18 or more towns must create and administer a fund distributing at least $500,000 annually to municipalities for tree planting.

Application procedures must be free to submit, with individual awards capped at $15,000 per project and eligibility limited to municipalities where the utility company pruned or removed trees in the previous year.

All planted trees must be placed on publicly owned land open to the public, and cannot be planted at sites where the utility company removed trees during vegetation management activities.

Utilities must use best efforts to distribute funds proportionately based on the scale of tree removal and pruning conducted in each municipality, and cannot recover any costs incurred under this requirement; effective October 1, 2022.