Conn. Gen. Stat. § 16a-3u: Additional power purchase agreements re biomass facilities.

(a) For the purposes of this section:

(1) “Existing biomass power purchase agreement” means a power purchase agreement that: (A) (i) Was entered into by a biomass facility that uses sustainable biomass fuel and has an average emission rate of less than or equal to .075 pounds of nitrogen oxides per million BTU of heat input for the previous calendar quarter, or energy derived from a biomass facility with a capacity of less than five hundred kilowatts that began construction before July 1, 2003, with an electric distribution company in the state on or before June 5, 2013, or (ii) was executed in accordance with a solicitation pursuant to section 16a-3f or 16a-3h; and (B) was in effect as of January 1, 2024.

(2) “Eligible biomass facility” means a biomass facility that uses sustainable biomass fuel and has an average emission rate of less than or equal to .075 pounds of nitrogen oxides per million BTU of heat input for the previous calendar quarter, or energy derived from a biomass facility with a capacity of less than five hundred kilowatts that began construction before July 1, 2003, and that has entered into one or more existing biomass power purchase agreements.

(3) “Additional biomass power purchase agreement” means a biomass power purchase agreement that is entered into by an eligible biomass facility and an electric distribution company pursuant to subdivision (b) of this section, for such facility's energy, capacity and environmental attributes, or any combination of such energy and attributes.

(4) “Electric distribution company” and “electric supplier” have the same meanings as provided in section 16-1.

(b) Not later than September 1, 2025, the Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection shall initiate a proceeding to solicit proposals, in consultation with the procurement manager identified in subsection (l) of section 16-2, and the Office of Consumer Counsel, in one solicitation or multiple solicitations, for energy and environmental attributes from eligible biomass facilities. The Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection may direct any electric distribution company to enter into one or more additional biomass power purchase agreements with any eligible biomass facility, provided any such agreement considers the costs to operate such facility, is in the best interest of ratepayers and supports the state's solid waste management plan pursuant to section 22a-228. Any such additional power purchase agreement shall begin upon the termination of the applicable existing biomass power purchase agreements, and shall not exceed a period of ten years.

(c) Any additional biomass power purchase agreement entered into pursuant to subsection (b) of this section shall be subject to review and approval by the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority. Such electric distribution company shall file an application for the approval of any such additional biomass power purchase agreement with the authority. The authority shall issue a decision not later than one hundred eighty days after any such filing. If the authority does not issue a decision within one hundred eighty days after such filing, such additional biomass power purchase agreement shall be deemed approved.

(d) The net costs of any such agreement, including costs incurred by the electric distribution companies under the agreement and reasonable costs incurred by any electric distribution company in connection with the agreement, shall be recovered through a fully reconciling component of electric rates for all customers of such electric distribution company.