Substitute House Bill No. 5440 mandates the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) to use the Argonne National Laboratory's Greenhouse gases, Regulated Emissions, and Energy use in Transportation (GREET) model, or a successor model, for evaluating the lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions of biofuels. This requirement applies to DEEP's greenhouse gas inventory and any analysis for developing recommendations to meet the state's greenhouse gas reduction goals. The bill also specifies that the GREET model be used for assessing low-carbon fuel standards and for analyses in the state's Comprehensive Energy Strategy (CES). The bill amends sections 22a-200b(a), 22a-200d, and 16a-3d(e) of the general statutes and repeals and substitutes language in section 22a-200d, which outlines the state's emission reduction strategies. The effective date for these changes is October 1, 2024.

The fiscal impact of the bill includes an estimated cost of $600,000 in FY 25 for DEEP to hire a professional consultant to develop a Connecticut-specific version of the GREET model. The bill removes the current requirement for DEEP to use modeling tools from the California Air Resources Board and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, instead requiring the use of the GREET model. For future CES reports approved after October 1, 2024, DEEP must use the GREET model to analyze the lifecycle greenhouse gas reductions from various energy sources and strategies. The bill does not have any municipal impact.

Statutes affected:
Raised Bill:
ET Joint Favorable Change of Reference:
ENV Joint Favorable:
File No. 487: