CT HB05521

Permits sale and distribution of sterile cultivars of otherwise prohibited plant species if the DEEP Commissioner, consulting with the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station director, determines the cultivar cannot reproduce or spread under typical state environmental conditions

Authorizes the DEEP Commissioner to establish sterility standards and revoke approval if a cultivar poses ecological risk; does not authorize sale of nonsterile forms of prohibited species

Removes the 65-megawatt capacity limit for customer-side and grid-side distributed resources projects seeking approval by declaratory ruling from the Connecticut Siting Council

Lowers the threshold for solar photovoltaic facilities on prime farmland or forestland requiring Department of Agriculture or DEEP review from 2 megawatts to 1 megawatt, regardless of use for sterile cultivar production

Removes the $20,000 per acre cap on development rights payments and associated municipal contribution schedule from farmland preservation program regulations