Connecticut

Connecticut has been fairly active in moving forward on climate change. In 2008 Connecticut passed the Global Warming Solutions Act, and in 2015 the state formed the Governor’s Council on Climate Change to evaluate ways to reach the state’s ambitious greenhouse gas emissions reduction target of 80% below 2001 levels by 2050.

Connecticut is a member of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) so has cap and trade control on power plant emissions. They also have joined the Transportation and Climate Initiative, and has joined a select group of TCI states to cap transportation emissions and trade emission permits in a system modeled after RGGI.

2019 Legislative Session

A host of bills may be expected in this session.

HB6436 An Act Establishing a Carbon Pricing Program (Steinberg) would establish a framework for a regional collaborative on assessing the cost of carbon energy on fossil fuel energy users.

HB6635 An Act Establishing a Carbon Price for Fossil Fuels Sold in the State (McCarthy Vahey) would create a carbon pricing structure in conjunction with other states in the New England and mid-Atlantic region with the purpose to establish a carbon price for fossil fuels sold in Connecticut.

HB6451An Act Concerning Carbon Pricing and the Payment of an Annual Dividend (Mushinsky) would establish a carbon price on fossil fuels and return the cost in the form of an annual dividend to consumers.

SB74An Act Establishing Carbon Pricing (Bergstein) to to establish a system of carbon pricing a regional basis.

For additional information on recent carbon pricing actions go here.

2017-18 Legislative Session

HB 7247 Establishing a carbon price for fossil fuels sold in Connecticut (Steinberg) proposed a carbon fee that would start at $15 per ton of CO2, increasing by $5 per ton annually. 25% of funds would go toward climate resilience, efficiency and other renewable energy programs, 30% would provide dividends to employers in the state, 40% would provide dividends to state residents, while no more than five percent would go toward administering the program.

Last updated February 4, 2019