Connecticut Law Establishes Energy Storage Target of 1 Gigawatt by 2030

Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont, a Democrat, signed legislation on June 16, establishing a goal of deploying 1,000 megawatts of energy storage by Dec. 31, 2030. Connecticut is the eighth state to establish a storage deployment target, which will increase reliability and aid in the state’s pursuit of a zero carbon electric sector by 2040, a goal laid out in its draft resource plan.

The legislation includes interim targets of 300 megawatts by the end of 2024 and 650 megawatts by 2027. The seven other states that have storage targets are California, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, and Virginia. In January, Connecticut regulators initiated a docket to gather input to develop a straw electric storage program design. The program is based on responses to the agency’s request for proposals for a storage program that provide positive net present value to ratepayers, provide multiple types of grid benefits, and foster sustained and orderly development of a state-based industry.

Under the law, the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority must initiate a proceeding by Jan. 1, 2022 to develop and implement programs, and funding mechanisms, for storage resources connected to the electric distribution system. The bill also authorizes the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection to issue requests for proposals for storage projects connected at the transmission or distribution level, including stand-alone projects and those paired with renewable energy sources or hydropower facilities having a capacity of up to 100 megawatts. The legislation sets a Jan.1, 2023 deadline for the aforementioned agencies to submit a report to the joint standing committee of the General on the progress of energy storage deployment goals.

The U.S Energy Storage Association,supportive of the bill, issued a statement on its role in ensuring the inclusion of accountability and tracking mechanisms in the final version of the bill.

There is a growing discussion on the role of energy storage as a grid asset to foster reliability and optimize renewables to meet ambitious clean energy goals. The technology will not only help capture the ample renewable energy generation and smooth out supply-demand fluctuations, but also ensure that these resources are available when needed to meet peak demand.