STATE INTRODUCES ENERGY ACTION PLAN HIGHLIGHTING HELP WITH ENERGY AFFORDABILITY

The Millstone nuclear power purchase agreements with the state are proving to help offset the high costs of energy.in our state. Nuclear energy is clean, reliable energy that the state needs to safeguard well into the future in order to meet the state’s carbon free goals by 2040. Please take a look at the state’s energy action plan to assist with affordability and reliability of energy costs.

STATE INTRODUCES ENERGY ACTION PLAN HIGHLIGHTING HELP WITH ENERGY AFFORDABILITY

Federal and State Actions To Help Families and Businesses in the Short and Long-Term

The governor’s office recently announced a comprehensive statewide strategy funded by federal and state dollars to provide energy assistance to Connecticut residents in the short-term and improve affordability and reliability in the long-term.

Short-Term

The Connecticut Energy Assistance Program (CEAP) will allow all participating households that heat with deliverable fuels, such as home heating oil, to receive an additional crisis assistance benefit worth $430 this winter season, above the amount they were already able to receive. Coupled with the existing basic benefit and crisis assistance benefits, the additional benefit means those families can now access up to $2,320 per household to help pay their heating bills.

The additional benefit is funded thanks to an additional $20 million secured for CEAP in a Congressional omnibus spending package passed late last year and an additional $30 million in State American Rescue Plan Act funding.

Eversource and United Illuminating also announced a customer relief plan that includes a bill credit returning earnings under the Millstone contract, an accelerated discount for low-income hardship customers, and $13 million in utility-funded assistance programs for low and moderate-income customers including through Operation Fuel, which provides emergency energy assistance to low-to-moderate-income households that don’t qualify for CEAP or who run out of CEAP benefits.

Households interested in seeking assistance through CEAP should apply online at ct.gov/heatinghelp or contact their local community action agency. Additional assistance is available by calling 2-1-1. Those seeking assistance from Operation Fuel should visit operationfuel.org.

Long-Term

The state’s long-term strategy to improve energy affordability and reliability includes:

Building a cleaner, more affordable, and more reliable energy supply.

Offshore Wind: To date, Connecticut has contracted for 1,108 MW of offshore wind. Along with other New England states, Connecticut is exploring strategic investments in new transmission to bring this power to shore to power homes and buildings.

Hydropower: The state is exploring opportunities to build new regional transmission for large-scale hydropower energy from Canada.

Nuclear: The state’s contracts with the Millstone and Seabrook nuclear facilities prevented premature retirements that would have jeopardized winter grid reliability, increased New England grid emissions by 20%, and cost ratepayers $1.8 billion to replace.

Other Clean Energy Resources: Since 2012, the state has procured approximately 1 GW of solar, land-based wind and other renewables, of which 433 MW are now operational. Additional procurements of grid-scale storage and renewables (such as solar, small-scale hydropower, and onshore wind) are planned in 2023.

Building energy efficiency and electrification.

Connecticut’s energy efficiency and building retrofit programs have a strong track record of success and have been recognized as some of the best in the nation. In 2021, the Conservation and Load Management (C&LM) programs – also known as EnergizeCT programs – generated more than $62 million in savings for Connecticut residents and businesses. The energy-saving investments funded by the 2022-2024 C&LM plan are projected to provide more than $1.7 billion in cumulative benefits.

The state has multiple building programs focused on enabling or completing weatherization upgrades in homes of income eligible residents, including the Weatherization Assistance Program and the Residential Energy Preparation Services program.

Together, these programs deliver $800 in services to the average program participant and help them realize $180 to $250 in annual energy bill savings. These programs increase decarbonization and reliability, and advance equity by removing barriers to participation, providing customers with efficient technology, and strengthening workforce development.

Capitalizing on historic federal funding opportunities.

The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection is leveraging the historic funding opportunities available through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act in pursuit of this strategy. Both laws offer opportunities to fund clean energy resources including transmission, and potential tax credits for clean energy production. The Inflation Reduction Act also provides tax credits and rebates for both energy efficiency and electrification upgrades.