Resolve, To Study Transmission Solutions To Enable Renewable Energy Investment in the State

Sec. 1. Renewable energy investment; stakeholder group. Resolved: That the Governor's Energy Office shall convene a stakeholder group to address transmission system needs and funding strategies to support renewable energy investment in the State. The stakeholder group, at a minimum, shall examine and make recommendations regarding:

1. Current constraints and barriers in the state and regional transmission systems that impede planning for and realizing increased renewable energy development and integration in the State and the impact of these current system limitations on existing renewable energy resources, including the ability to qualify for the sale of energy and capacity in the regional wholesale energy markets. The stakeholder group shall make recommendations for improving the capability of the in-state transmission system to meet in-state demand and to export excess supply for the purposes of optimizing existing renewable energy resources and promoting in-state and regional system reliability;

2. Transmission infrastructure investment solutions and system improvements to realize different renewable energy development scenarios. The stakeholder group shall examine a minimum of 4 different renewable energy development scenarios that vary by total generation capacity, resource type and site location, taking into consideration the impact on siting and ratepayers and the relative benefits of different scenarios for energy consumers, transmission costs, existing generators, developers of new renewable energy resources and the environment;

3. Opportunities for regional coordination to advance transmission solutions to support new renewable energy resource development in the State, including deployment of new renewable energy resources capable of providing system reliability benefits to the State and the region, with consideration of publicly available data and studies available from ISO New England, Inc.; and

4. Potential funding sources and strategies, including bonding and public-private partnerships, for renewable energy development.

The office shall invite to participate in the stakeholder group, at a minimum, a representative of: the Public Utilities Commission; the Office of the Public Advocate; ISO New England, Inc.; investor-owned transmission and distribution utilities; consumer-owned transmission and distribution utilities; a statewide renewable energy association; a statewide environmental organization; a statewide construction industry trade association; community-scale renewable energy developers; grid-scale renewable energy developers; existing renewable energy resource generators; large industrial electricity consumers; and low-income electricity consumers.

Sec. 2. Report. Resolved: That, no later than December 15, 2019, the Governor's Energy Office shall provide a report on the work of the stakeholder group to the Joint Standing Committee on Energy, Utilities and Technology. The report must include the findings and recommendations of the stakeholder group regarding the issues listed in section 1 and identify changes to law necessary to implement the recommendations. The committee may report out a bill to the Second Regular Session of the 129th Legislature related to the report.