|
This Web page summarizes wind activity on the following topics for the state of Connecticut. Some of the following documents are available as Adobe Acrobat PDFs. Download Adobe Reader.
New England wind projects can be located on our Google Map. This page shows the location of installed and planned New England wind projects. Find windfarms, community-scale wind projects, customer-sited wind projects, small wind projects, and offshore wind projects.
Policies and Guidelines
Integrated Resources Plan
This information was last updated on 7/30/2009. The Connecticut Energy Advisory Board and the Connecticut Department of Public Utilities (DPUC) are responsible for reviewing the Integrated Resources Procurement Plan submitted by the State's electric distribution companies. The plans include discussion of procurement of renewable energy, planning for transmission required to support new renewable energy, and related topics. In May 2009 the Connecticut Energy Advisory Board filed the 2009 Integrated Resources Procurement Plan for review by the DPUC (PDF 611 KB). The DPUC has since opened docket 09-05-02 and established a hearing schedule for review of the plan with a final decision expected in August 2009. Additionally the Connecticut Energy Advisory Board began the 2010 Integrated Resources Procurement Plan process by holding a visioning workshop at the end of May 2009.
More Information
Long Term Contracts for Renewables
This information was last updated on 7/30/2009. In July 2008, the Department of Public Utility Control issued a final order in Docket No. 07-06-61 allowing — but not requiring — Connecticut utilities to enter long-term Renewable Energy Credit contracts of up to 15 years with Class 1 renewable energy generators. This order does not authorize bundled Renewable Energy Credits, energy and capacity purchases, citing limitations in the enabling statue as well as the point that long-term contracts for energy and capacity are authorized under other provisions of law and regulation. The Department will limit any long-term contractual arrangements to less than 50% of Renewable Energy Credits needed to meet the Renewable Portfolio Standard. The Department concluded that long-term Renewable Energy Credit contracts would encourage renewable energy development by increasing investor confidence in long-term demand for Renewable Energy Credits, in addition to promoting fuel diversity, and price stability.
-
This information was last updated on 8/4/2011. The Connecticut Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) requires each retail electric supplier and electric distribution company (who comply by passing the obligation through to a wholesale supplier) to meet three classes of obligations from qualifying renewable energy and demand-side sources.
- Class I: 20% by 2020 — includes all wind generation, as well as other low emissions resources and post-2002 small hydro.
- Class II: a steady-state 3% beginning in 2006, including pre-2003 hydro and resources which fail to meet the Class I emissions limits.
- Class III: 4% by 2010 — comprised of demand-side and conservation and load management resources.
The Connecticut legislature has amended its Renewable Portfolio Standard several times since first enacted in 1998. Of particular interest to regional wind generators, a 2006 amendment modified the geographic eligibility and compliance criteria to conform Connecticut's policy to the rest of New England, which relies solely upon NEPOOL GIS certificates for Renewable Portfolio Standard compliance. This change required renewable energy generators (including wind) in the portion of northern Maine not served by the New England Power Pool, as well as New York and Canadian provinces abutting New England, to match Renewable Energy Credit imports with physical energy imports on an hourly basis in order to sell Renewable Energy Credits into any New England Renewable Portfolio Standard market. Previously, these Northern Maine generators were eligible without requiring physical energy imports. Another result is that once eligible generators in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware and Maryland are no longer eligible. In general, these changes have helped to move Connecticut's Class 1 Renewable Energy Credit prices toward conformance with the rest of New England's premium Renewable Portfolio Standard markets.
The Department of Public Utility Control is currently in the process of further modifying the Renewable Portfolio Standard regulations to include Renewable Energy Credit banking which would allow electric suppliers and electric distribution companies to bank excess compliance for use in one of the two subsequent Renewable Portfolio Standard compliance years — essentially transferring excess Renewable Energy Credits into future years. Renewable Energy Credit banking regulations would further conform Connecticut Class I Renewable Energy Credit prices to the rest of New England, and otherwise diminish Renewable Energy Credit price volatility. Additional information on Renewable Energy Credit banking is available at Department of Public Utility Control Docket 08-09-01.
More Information
Back to Top
Incentives
Some of the available incentives for projects include tax incentives, public benefits fund supported grants and loans, and net metering. Net metering requires electric utilities to permit customers to reduce their electric bills by generating their own power using small-scale renewable energy systems. The excess power they generate can be fed back to their utilities, actually running their electric meters backwards.
-
This information was last updated on 8/4/2011. Connecticut allows municipalities the option of offering property tax exemptions for certain renewable energy systems, including wind generators.
Public Benefits Fund
This information was last updated on 7/30/2009. The Connecticut Clean Energy Fund is engaged in a long-term effort to foster the production and use of energy from clean and renewable sources in Connecticut and throughout the region. The Connecticut Clean Energy Fund invests in enterprises and initiatives aimed at: developing a vibrant market for clean power; educating consumers about the benefits and availability of clean power; and building a base of renewable energy technologies and infrastructure. The Connecticut Clean Energy Fund has established Market Supply Initiatives under which wind power is eligible for support. These include:
-
A Connecticut Clean Energy Fund initiative to collect data and information to later use in identifying which types of wind turbines perform best in Connecticut and will enable the Connecticut Clean Energy Fund to craft an effective wind rebate program.
-
Program that assists businesses and institutions interested in installing an on-site renewable energy system.
-
The Program offers up to $750,000 to set up demonstrations designed to show the feasibility and economic benefits of new technology.
-
The Legislature has established a requirement for Connecticut's utilities to enter not less than 150 MW of long-term contracts with Renewable Portfolio Standard Class 1-eligible generators that have been supported to some degree by the Connecticut Clean Energy Fund. While initially generation throughout the regions was eligible, subsequent legislation restricted the location of the projects to those located in Connecticut. This restriction, combined with the lack of in-state wind development activity, makes Project 150 unlikely to support substantial wind development. For more information, see the Department of Public Utility Control Web site.
-
This information was last updated on 7/28/2009. Connecticut's investor-owned utilities are required to offer customer-sited generators up to 2 MW (including wind) with access to net metering. Currently, there is no limit on the aggregate capacity of net-metered systems in a single utility's service territory. Prior to 2007, net metering was limited to generators up to 100 kW. For more information, see the Connecticut Department of Public Utility Control website.
Back to Top
Siting
There is currently no siting information available.
Back to Top
Transmission, Interconnection, and System Integration
-
This information was last updated on 7/30/2009. Incentives for distributed generation are in place for up to 100 kW for net-metered systems and up to 25 MW for non-net-metered systems interconnecting with Connecticut's regulated utilities.
More Information
Back to Top
Other Initiatives
Global Warming Solutions Act
This information was last updated on 7/30/2009. The Global Warming Solutions Act, HB 5600, was signed into law by Governor Rell in June 2008, making Connecticut the 5th state in the nation with such a law, after California, Hawaii, New Jersey and Washington. The Bill sets requirements for achieving greenhouse gas emissions10% below 1990 levels by 2020 and 80% below 2001 levels by 2050. The Department of Environmental Protection will devise the plan to meet those targets.
More Information
Back to Top
Buying Wind Energy
-
This information was last updated on 7/30/2009. Beginning in April 2005, Connecticut's two investor-owned utilities, Connecticut Light and Power and United Illuminating, began to offer a simple, affordable program to their customers for purchasing clean energy such as wind power. In late 2006, stakeholders started to explore a new offering that would convey the price stability of wind energy (and other renewable energy resources) to Connecticut consumers. This new offering is still under development.
-
This information was last updated on 7/30/2009. SmartPower Connecticut in partnership with the Connecticut Clean Energy Fund developed the Clean Energy Communities Program, which assists communities in the purchase and support of clean energy.
Back to Top
List of Installers and Vendors
Back to Top
Connecticut has a Wind Working Group. Click on the link for more information. Back to Top
Click on the link to read more about the wind resources in Connecticut. Back to Top
Read more information about events happening in the New England region.
Back to Top
Total of 8 records found.
Page 1 of 1, Sorted by descending title
Filtered by: States
Date   |
State |
Type of Information |
Program Area |
Title |
More Details |
 |
CT |
Web Resource
|
|
The Institute for Sustainable Energy |
...more |
|
CT |
Web Resource
|
|
SmartPower Connecticut |
...more |
|
CT |
Publication
|
Small Wind
|
Small Wind Electric Systems: A Connecticut Consumer's Guide |
...more |
|
CT |
Web Resource
|
|
Connecticut Office of Policy and Management |
...more |
|
CT |
Web Resource
|
|
Connecticut Incentives and Policies for Renewables and Efficiency (DSIRE Database) |
...more |
|
CT |
Web Resource
|
|
Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection |
...more |
|
CT |
Web Resource
|
|
Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection: Public Utilities Regulatory Authority |
...more |
|
CT |
Web Resource
|
|
Clean Energy Finance and Investment Authority |
...more |
Back to Top
|
