The Integrated Resources Plan, as described in section 16a-3a, shall (1) indicate specific options to reduce electric rates and costs while achieving the state's greenhouse gas emission reduction requirements established in section 22a-200a. Such options may include the procurement of new sources of generation. In the review of new sources of generation, the Integrated Resources Plan shall indicate whether the private wholesale market can supply such additional sources or whether state financial assistance, long-term purchasing of electricity contracts or other interventions are needed to achieve the goal; (2) analyze in-state renewable sources of electricity in comparison to transmission line upgrades or new projects and out-of-state renewable energy sources, provided such analysis also considers the benefits of additional jobs and other economic impacts and how they are created and subsidized; (3) include an examination of average consumption and other states' best practices to determine why electricity rates are lower elsewhere in the region; (4) assess and compare the cost of transmission line projects, new power sources, renewable sources of electricity, conservation and distributed generation projects to ensure the state pursues only the least-cost alternative projects; (5) analyze the potential for electric vehicles, as defined in section 16-19eee, to provide energy storage and other services to the electric grid and identify strategies to ensure that the grid is prepared to support increased electric vehicle charging, based on projections of sales of electric vehicles; (6) continually monitor supply and distribution systems to identify potential need for transmission line projects early enough to identify alternatives; and (7) assess the least-cost alternative to address reliability concerns, including, but not limited to, lowering electricity demand through conservation and distributed generation projects before an electric distribution company submits a proposal for transmission lines or transmission line upgrades to the independent system operator or the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, provided no provision of such plan shall be deemed to prohibit an electric distribution company from making any filing required by law or regulation.

(P.A. 11-80, S. 90; P.A. 13-298, S. 24; P.A. 14-134, S. 19; P.A. 16-135, S. 6; P.A. 18-82, S. 4.)

History: P.A. 11-80 effective July 1, 2011; P.A. 13-298 deleted Subsec. (a) designator, replaced “price of electricity” with “electric rates and costs” in Subdiv. (1), deleted former Subsec. (b) re plan that contains option to procure new sources of generation, deleted former Subsec. (c) re report, and made technical changes, effective July 8, 2013; P.A. 14-134 changed “annually” to “biennially” re adoption of plan, effective June 6, 2014; P.A. 16-135 replaced “to be adopted in 2012 and biennially thereafter” with “as described in section 16a-3a”, added new Subdiv. (5) re electric vehicles and redesignated existing Subdivs. (5) and (6) as Subdivs. (6) and (7), effective July 1, 2016; P.A. 18-82 amended Subdiv. (1) by adding provision re options to reduce electric rates and costs to be made while achieving state's greenhouse gas emission reduction requirements, effective June 6, 2018.