Energy and Technology Committee
JOINT FAVORABLE REPORT
Bill No.: HB-6524
AN ACT CONCERNING THE SOLICITATION OF NEW FUEL CELL
Title: ELECTRICITY GENERATION PROJECTS.
Vote Date: 3/11/2021
Vote Action: Joint Favorable
PH Date: 3/4/2021
File No.:
Disclaimer: The following JOINT FAVORABLE Report is prepared for the benefit of the
members of the General Assembly, solely for purposes of information, summarization and
explanation and does not represent the intent of the General Assembly or either chamber
thereof for any purpose.
SPONSORS OF BILL:
Energy and Technology Committee
REASONS FOR BILL:
THIS BILL WOULD REQUIRE ELECTRIC DISTRIBUTION COMPANIES TO SOLICIT
PROPOSALS TO ACQUIRE NEW FUEL CELL ELECTRICITY GENERATION PROJECTS
RESPONSE FROM ADMINISTRATION/AGENCY:
John Blair-Associate Counsel at the Connecticut Business & Industry Association
supports HB 6524 because it would create a competitive selection process for fuel cell
projects that gives preference to fuel cell electricity generation projects manufactured in the
state and sited on brownfields or landfills.
NATURE AND SOURCES OF SUPPORT:
Patrick McDonnell-Vice President of Regulatory Affairs for UIL Holdings Corporation
supports HB 6524 (with modifications) because it provides several additional opportunities
for fuel cells to demonstrate the value they can provide to our communities
Fuelcell Energy supports HB 6524 because it directs the utilities to procure fuel cells to
assist with reliability and resilience, it will also have direct economic benefits to the State of
Connecticut at a critical time when the State is trying to recover from the impacts of the
COVID-19 pandemic. Fuel cells pay state and local taxes, including sales taxes. Connecticut
fuel cell manufacturers also pay payroll taxes for their employees. Each MW of fuel cells
procured in the State creates or retains 6.2 high-tech manufacturing jobs and 2 indirect
industry jobs, creates approximately $810,000 in state and local tax revenue, and adds to
infrastructure investment and expansion
Jordan Garfinkle-Senior Policy Manager for New England for Bloom Energy generally
supports HB 6524 but has concerns that the specific bid preferences included in the draft
have the potential to undermine the objectives of the legislation.
David Giordano, Government Relations & Business Development Doosan Fuel Cell
America, Inc. strongly supports the improvements made to existing law that allows electric
distribution companies to procure fuel cell generating capacity that create grid resiliency,
system improvements and other economic benefits.
The Connecticut Green Bank supports HB 6524 because it updates an underused
solicitation statute to provide greater deployment opportunities for Connecticuts fuel cell
manufacturing cluster, especially when deployed in combined heat and power applications,
sited on a brownfield, or providing resiliency benefits to the community (e.g., microgrid)
Vincent Pace, Assistant General Counsel Eversource Energy proposes a limited
clarifying change to confirm that if an EDC demonstrates program costs were prudently
incurred then an EDC shall (instead of may) obtain cost recovery.
Joel M. Rinebold Director of Energy Connecticut Center for Advanced Technology, Inc.
supports HB 6524 because of approved it will provide the following benefits:
Use of technology manufactured in the state that will provide significant jobs and
revenues to Connecticuts economy
Compliance to help meet the state goals for Class I renewable energy resources
Siting of high capacity power equipment that provides increased availability and
reliability
Operation of equipment that provides high energy efficiency potentially with heat and
power for end users
Dispatch of power to support capacitance, voltage control, and maintenance of
frequency on the grid and at end user facilities.
NATURE AND SOURCES OF OPPOSITION:
The Connecticut chapter of the Sierra Club opposes HB 6524 in its current form because
the bill makes no distinction between the relative environmental impact of different types of
fuel cells but rather treats them as a monolithic product without distinction.
Chris Phelps, State Director, Environment Connecticut opposes HB 6524 as written,
particularly in that this bill has the potential to subsidize increased deployment of new fossil
fuel electric generation in the form of fuel cells powered by high carbon-emitting fossil fuels.
Such a policy runs directly counter to the policy goals of many of the other bills on your
agenda, including SB 882. Environment Connecticut requests that HB 6524 be amended to
require that the only fuel cell generation supported by the bill be powered by renewable
resources, not fossil fuels
Page 2 of 3 HB-6524
Reported by: Jason Snukis Date: March 26, 2021
Page 3 of 3 HB-6524


Statutes affected:
Raised Bill: 16-244y
ET Joint Favorable: 16-244y
File No. 167: 16-244y
File No. 728: 16-244y
Public Act No. 21-162: 16-244y