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SB00320 • 2026

AN ACT ESTABLISHING A WORKING GROUP CONCERNING ELECTRIC TRANSMISSION FACILITIES AND ELECTRIC GRID CAPACITY PLANNING.

AN ACT ESTABLISHING A WORKING GROUP CONCERNING ELECTRIC TRANSMISSION FACILITIES AND ELECTRIC GRID CAPACITY PLANNING.

Energy Technology
Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
Energy and Technology Committee
Last action
2026-03-31
Official status
File Number 276
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Checked against official source text during the last sync.

Creating a Group to Study Power Lines and Grid Planning

This law requires the Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection to form a working group that studies how power lines are placed and plans for future electricity needs.

What This Bill Does

  • Requires the Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection to create a new working group by October 1, 2026.
  • Directs the group to study delays in building electric transmission facilities caused by administrative inefficiency or lack of coordination between agencies.
  • Asks the group to look at how much more power grid capacity is needed as more distributed generation sources are built.
  • Instructs the group to examine ways to share costs so that new energy developers do not pay an unfair amount for necessary infrastructure upgrades.
  • Requires a final report with findings and possible law changes to be sent to the General Assembly by July 1, 2027.

Who It Names or Affects

  • The Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection
  • Members from state agencies including the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority, Consumer Counsel, Office of Policy and Management, and Administrative Services
  • Representatives from electric distribution companies

Terms To Know

Electric transmission facilities
The large power lines that carry electricity over long distances.
Distributed generation sources
Smaller energy systems located near where the power is used, such as solar panels or small wind turbines.
Siting
The process of choosing a location to build something, such as a new power line.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify the exact budget for the working group's activities.
  • This act creates the study but does not immediately change current rules; any law changes depend on future recommendations in the report.

Bill History

  1. 2026-03-31 LCO

    Reported Out of Legislative Commissioners' Office

  2. 2026-03-31 Connecticut General Assembly

    Favorable Report, Tabled for the Calendar, Senate

  3. 2026-03-31 Connecticut General Assembly

    Senate Calendar Number 187

  4. 2026-03-31 LCO

    File Number 276

  5. 2026-03-25 LCO

    Referred to Office of Legislative Research and Office of Fiscal Analysis 03/30/26 5:00 PM

  6. 2026-03-18 LCO

    Filed with Legislative Commissioners' Office

  7. 2026-03-17 ET

    Joint Favorable

  8. 2026-02-27 Connecticut General Assembly

    Public Hearing 03/05

  9. 2026-02-26 Connecticut General Assembly

    Referred to Joint Committee on Energy and Technology

Official Summary Text

To require the Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection to convene a working group for the purpose of examining and making recommendations regarding the siting and use of electric transmission facilities and electric grid capacity planning in the state.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
Senate
SB320 / File No. 276 1

General Assembly File No. 276
February Session, 2026 Senate Bill No. 320

Senate, March 31, 2026

The Committee on Energy and Technology reported through
SEN. NEEDLEMAN of the 33rd Dist., Chairperson of the
Committee on the part of the Senate, that the bill ought to pass.

AN ACT ESTABLISHING A WORKING GROUP CONCERNING
ELECTRIC TRANSMISSION FACILITIES AND ELECTRIC GRID
CAPACITY PLANNING.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:

Section 1. (Effective October 1, 2026 ) (a) The Commissioner of Energy 1
and Environmental Protection shall convene a working group within 2
the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection to study and 3
make recommendations concerning: (1) The siting and use of electric 4
transmission facilities in the state, and (2) long -term electric grid 5
interconnection and capacity planning. 6
(b) The working group established pursuant to this section shall 7
examine: (1) Any identified or potential delays in the siting of electric 8
transmission facilities in the state caused by administrative inefficiency 9
or a lack of interagency coordination, (2) the need for electric grid 10
enhancements, including additional interconnection points, required in 11
connection with the increased development of distributed generation 12
sources in the state, (3) any potential cost -sharing or cost -shifting 13
SB320 File No. 276

SB320 / File No. 276 2

mechanisms to ensure that future developers of distributed generation 14
sources do not bear an inequitable amount of the cost for necessary 15
electric transmission or distribution infrastructure improvements, and 16
(4) any other topics the commissioner deems relevant to the working 17
group. 18
(c) The commissioner shall select the members of such working 19
group, provided such working group shall, at a minimum, include (1) 20
the commissioner, or the commissioner's designee; (2) the chairperson 21
of the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority, or the chairperson's 22
designee; (3) the Consumer Counsel, or the counsel's designee; (4) the 23
Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management, or the secretary's 24
designee; (5) the Commissioner of Administrative Services, or the 25
commissioner's designee; and (6) one or more representatives of the 26
electric distribution companies, as defined in section 16-1 of the general 27
statutes. 28
(d) Not later than July 1, 2027, the commissioner shall submit a report, 29
in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a of the general statutes, 30
to the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having 31
cognizance of matters relating to energy and technology that details the 32
findings of the working group and makes recommendations for any 33
legislation related to the siting and use of electric transmission facilities 34
in the state and long -term electric grid interconnection and capacity 35
planning. 36
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
sections:

Section 1 October 1, 2026 New section

ET Joint Favorable

SB320 File No. 276

SB320 / File No. 276 3

The following Fiscal Impact Statement and Bill Analysis are prepared for the benefit of the members of
the General Assembly, solely for purposes of information, summarization and explanation and do not
represent the intent of the General Assembly or either chamber thereof for any purpose. In general,
fiscal impacts are based upon a variety of informational sources, including the analyst’s professional
knowledge. Whenever applicable, agency data is consulted as part of the analysis, however final
products do not necessarily reflect an assessment from any specific department.

OFA Fiscal Note

State Impact: None
Municipal Impact: None
Explanation
The bill requires the Commissioner of the Department of Energy and
Environmental Protection (DEEP) to establish a working group to study
the siting and use of electric transmission facilities in the state, and long-
term electric grid interconnection and capacity planning . This does not
result in a cost to the state as the working group has the staff and
expertise necessary to meet the requirements of the bill.
The Out Years
State Impact: None
Municipal Impact: None

SB320 File No. 276

SB320 / File No. 276 4

OLR Bill Analysis
SB 320

AN ACT ESTABLISHING A WORKING GROUP CONCERNING
ELECTRIC TRANSMISSION FACILITIES AND ELECTRIC GRID
CAPACITY PLANNING.

SUMMARY
The Office of Legislative Research does not analyze Special Acts.
COMMITTEE ACTION
Energy and Technology Committee
Joint Favorable
Yea 26 Nay 0 (03/17/2026)