Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection

Statewide Shared Clean Energy Facility (SCEF) Program

The statewide SCEF Program was developed pursuant to Section 7(a)(1)(C) of Public Act 18-50, An Act Concerning Connecticut’s Energy Future, codified as Section 16-244z(a)(1)(C) of the General Statutes of Connecticut. The statewide SCEF Program seeks the deployment of new or incremental Class I renewable generation projects for a 20-year term. Eligible projects are chosen through a competitive bidding procurement process each year, for a total of 6 years. The first procurement occurred in 2020.


With the passage of Public Act 22-14, the SCEF Program now allows projects ranging in size from 100 to 5,000 kilowatts (AC), starting in the Year 4 Procurement. Earlier SCEF procurements only allowed projects up to 4,000 kilowatts. Further, Public Act 22-14 increased the yearly program capacity from 25 megawatts to 50 megawatts.


Year 4 Procurement

By Final Decision dated December 7, 2022 in Docket No. 22-08-04, Annual Review of Statewide Shared Clean Energy Facility Program Requirements -- Year 4, the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA) approved, with revisions, the Program Manual, the Year 4 Request for Proposals (Year 4 RFP), Appendix A: Subscriber Terms and Conditions, and Appendix B: Submittal to the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) for the Year 4 procurement cycle of the statewide SCEF Program (Appendix B). The Final Decision and the program documents for the Year 4 Procurement reflect the statutory changes set forth in Public Act 22-14.

Community Engagement
DEEP is exploring incentives for projects located in and/or providing additional benefits to Environmental Justice Communities for the upcoming program year. DEEP seeks the public’s feedback to ensure any incentive maximizes benefits to Environmental Justice communities, minimizes harm to these communities, and is fair to developers. DEEP hosted a public meeting on August 15, 2022 at 6pm on Zoom to discuss the SCEF program and hear from members of the public, especially Environmental Justice community members, local leaders, and municipal officials. View the recording of the public meeting HERE

View the the presentation from the public meeting HERE

DEEP met with the Waterbury Environmental Control Commission on August 17, 2022 at 7pm on Zoom to further explore and discuss benefits of the Shared Clean Energy Facility Program for Environmental Justice Communities. DEEP welcomes the opportunity to meet with municipal entities or other groups, especially those in Environmental Justice Communities, to discuss the SCEF program. Please reach out to DEEP.EnergyBureau@ct.gov to set up a meeting at any time.

View DEEP’s meeting with the Waterbury Environmental Control Commission HERE

DEEP is also accepting written comments sent to DEEP.EnergyBureau@ct.gov at any time with the subject line "SCEF Comments." 

 
Year 4 Bid Preferences
The Year 4 Procurement maintains a 20 percent bid preference for all Class I resources sited on brownfields or landfills, for ranking purposes only, as well as a 30 percent bid preference for solar canopies, also for ranking purposes only. Bidders cannot receive both bid preferences. If a Bidder's project is eligible for both bid preferences, the Bidder will solely get the 30 percent bid preference for solar carports and canopies.

Year 4 RFP and Submission of Project Bid Filing to EDC
Pursuant to the Final Decision, Eversource Energy and The United Illuminating Company (together, the EDCs) will jointly issue the Year 4 RFP in January 2023, for the submission of Project Bid filings. To download and view the Year 4 RFP program documents when they become available, please visit Eversource's or UI's SCEF webpages:
Bidders must submit their Project Bid filing with the relevant EDC on or before the Bid Forms due date established by the EDCs in the Year 4 RFP. Bidders must also email a copy of their entire Project Bid filing to DEEP at DEEP.EnergyBureau@ct.gov on or before the same date. 

 

Bidder's Appendix B Submittal to DEEP
Concurrent with a Project Bid filing with the relevant EDC in response to the Year 4 RFP, a Bidder must also submit the following information and affidavits with DEEP on or before the Bid Forms due date established by the EDCs in the Year 4 RFP. A Bidder's responses to these items are collectively known as the Bidder's Appendix B Submittal:
  • Responses to all questions outlined in the Year 4 Appendix B;
  • Attachment 1: an affidavit attesting to the Bidder's control of the Project Site by the Bidder;
  • Attachment 2: an affidavit attesting to the Bidder's control of the Project Site by the owner of the project site (required only if the Bidder is not the owner of the Project Site);
  • Attachment 3: an affidavit attesting to the veracity of statements made to DEEP in Appendix B and all attachments;
  • Attachment 4: the completed Self-Certification Form for proposed projects that violate the slope requirements, if applicable;
  • Attachment 5: an Applicant Compliance Information form; and
  • A copy of the notification email the Bidder has received from the relevant EDC confirming that the Project Bid has been submitted successfully.
The revised Appendix B, affidavit forms, and the Self-Certification Form are available in PDF and Word formats, at the links below:

Bidders must file their Appendix B Submittal with DEEP at DEEP.EnergyBureau@ct.gov on or before the Bid Forms due date established by the EDCs in the Year 4 RFP. Bidders must also email a copy of their entire Appendix B Submittal to the relevant EDC at SCEF@Eversource.com or SCEF@uinet.com on or before the same date.

NOTE:  DEEP presently oversees a separate SCEF program on a pilot basis. Details about the SCEF pilot program and the three projects selected to participate in that program are available on DEEP's webpage for the Shared Clean Energy Facility Pilot Program.

 

Content last updated January 2023