Senate Bill No. 244 mandates the Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection to conduct a comprehensive study of the renewable energy certificate market, specifically focusing on certificates issued by the New England Power Pool Generation Information System. The study will examine the role of these certificates in supporting renewable energy development, financing, and operations, as well as current supply, demand, and pricing trends in both state and regional markets. Additionally, it will assess the environmental benefits and electric-grid resiliency associated with the use of these certificates for compliance with state renewable energy requirements. The bill requires the commissioner to submit a report on the study's findings to the relevant joint standing committees of the General Assembly by January 1, 2027.

The bill introduces new legal language that specifies the effective date of the study as July 1, 2026, and clarifies that the report must be submitted "on the results of such study." There are no deletions from current law, and the fiscal impact of the bill is expected to be negligible, as the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection is equipped to conduct the study without incurring additional costs.