Personal Impact*

Waste Diversion              Electricity               Solar PV               Transportation

Zero Carbon Energy

   

 

 

The ratio of zero carbon electricity to total electricity generation in Connecticut has been generally declining.

 

In 2022, electricity (megawatt-hour – MWh) from both utility scale zero carbon** and carbon-based electric generation resources located in the state decreased from 2021. The amount of zero carbon electricity, as a percentage of the total amount of electricity generated in the state, also decreased in 2022.⁷² Including out-of-state generation resources, it is estimated that in 2021, approximately 62 percent of the electricity supplied to electric customers in the state was from zero carbon resources.⁷³

Zero Carbon Goal - Consumption

In 2022, Public Act 22-5 was enacted that requires the reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to a level of zero percent from electricity supplied to electric customers in the state by 2040. The state had procured approximately 710 megawatts (MW) of grid-scale solar capacity, 1,108 MW of offshore wind capacity, and the environmental attributes from the electric generation from Millstone.*** In August 2022, the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) announced that 170 MWs of solar and land-based wind energy projects selected by DEEP had been terminated and that the procurement of additional zero carbon resources was likely.⁷⁴ If the remaining procurements are developed, it would eventually increase the amount of zero carbon energy available for the state’s residents and businesses; however, it might still leave the state short of its zero percent GHG emission target by 2040. The shortfall is more likely if one or more of the Millstone units are retired and/or the projected increases in electric demand for transportation (~431,000 EVs by 2031)⁷⁵ and thermal (97 GWH by 2031)⁷⁶ are accurate. The use of intermittent renewable technologies will require a significant amount of energy storage and/or upgrades to the electric transmission system.

 

_{Goal: Connecticut General Statute, Section 16-245a requires that a minimum percentage of electricity, which is sold to Connecticut customers, must be generated from renewable energy sources. That minimum amount is 24 percent for 2022 and will escalate to 40 percent in 2030 (Class I). As mentioned above, Public Act 22-5 requires the reduction of GHG emissions to a level of zero percent from electricity supplied to electric customers in the state by 2040.}

_{Technical Note: *Personal Impact indicators illustrate trends in behavior or practices that can be expected to influence the condition of tomorrow’s air, water, land and wildlife. **Includes utility scale renewables that generate no carbon and nuclear generation, and it is not the same as Class I or Class 2 renewable sources. Zero carbon generation does not include biomass (wood, municipal solid waste), fuel cells operating on natural gas, biogas, and landfill gas. ***Includes the environmental attributes associated with the facilities through 2029.}

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⁷²  _{DOE, Energy Information Administration (EIA), Electricity Data Browser, Net Generation for Electric Power, Annual (Connecticut - All Fuels); www.eia.gov/electricity/data/browser/#/topic/0?agg=2,0,1&fuel=vtvv&geo=008&sec=008&linechart=ELEC.GEN.ALL-CT-98.A&columnchart=ELEC.GEN.ALL-CT-98.A&map=ELEC.GEN.ALL-CT-98.A&freq=A&start=2001&end=2022&ctype=linechart&ltype=pin&rtype=s&rse=0&maptype=0&pin=.}
⁷³  _{DEEP, Bureau of Energy and Technology Policy; personal communication from M. Malmrose, March 16, 2023.}
⁷⁴  _{DEEP, 2022 Procurement Plan Update, August 31, 2022; portal.ct.gov/-/media/DEEP/energy/IRP/2022-Procurement-Plan-Update.pdf.}
⁷⁵  _{ISO-New England, Draft 2023 Transportation Electrification Forecast, February 24, 2023; www.iso-ne.com/static-assets/documents/2023/02/transfx2023_draft.pdf.}
⁷⁶  _{ISO-New England, Final 2022 Heating Electrification Forecast, April 28, 2022; www.iso-ne.com/static-assets/documents/2022/04/final_2022_heat_elec_forecast.pdf.}