After passing a two-year budget deal by a veto-proof margin Thursday, House lawmakers also approved a bill that could lead to the state’s sole nuclear power plant to bid for state-assigned electricity contracts with utility companies.
The bill requires the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection and the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority to study Millstone Power Station and determine whether to conduct a power solicitation seeking electricity from nuclear and other generation sources.
The appraisal would be due Feb 1, 2018. If the legislature doesn’t vote to reject the appraisal findings by March 1, the process would move forward.
The bill builds on a DEEP-PURA joint review that’s already underway, as previously ordered by Gov. Dannel Malloy.
The bill, which was passed Wednesday by the Senate, generated debate in the House, which had declined to take up the matter in the waning hours of the regular legislative session earlier this year. Ultimately, around 3 p.m. Thursday, House members approved the bill by a vote of 75 to 66, with 10 not voting.
Plant owner Dominion released a statement Wednesday after the Senate vote saying the bill “gives Millstone the same opportunity to compete that is already available to older Canadian hydro facilities.”
Fossil fuel plants teamed up this year with AARP and environmental groups to battle Millstone’s request to compete for state-assigned energy contracts, which are seen as preferable to selling power into the wholesale market.
Opponents argue that contracts for Millstone will raise electricity rates in the state and that Millstone is already profitable. Supporters point to the plant’s 1,500 jobs. Some argued Thursday that contracts for the plant would lower electricity prices.
During Thursday’s debate, Rep. Peter Tercyak (D-New Britain) described the bill as “horrible.”
“It’s a straight up subsidy. It’s not good for our constituents,” Tercyak said.”We’re just supposed to fall down and genuflect when someone says ‘jobs jobs jobs.’ ”
His comment followed remarks from Rep. Laura Hoydick (R-Stratford), who takes issue with the term “subsidy” — which has been a frequent point of contention in the debate.
“Let me make this perfectly clear to every one of you, on the basis of my children’s lives, this bill is not a subsidy,” Hoydick said. “Don’t use that word. It doesn’t pertain here. This bill is about an appraisal.”
Amendments that would have required Millstone to open its books to bid for contracts and one that would have required the legislature vote to affirm DEEP and PURA’s findings both failed Thursday.
The bill, along with the state budget, now heads to Malloy’s desk.
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