Bill Text: CT HB05510 | 2016 | General Assembly | Chaptered
Bill Title: An Act Concerning Electric And Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles.
Spectrum: Committee Bill
Status: (Passed) 2016-06-07 - Signed by the Governor [HB05510 Detail]
Download: Connecticut-2016-HB05510-Chaptered.html
Substitute House Bill No. 5510
AN ACT CONCERNING ELECTRIC AND FUEL CELL ELECTRIC VEHICLES.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened:
Section 1. (NEW) (Effective July 1, 2016) As used in this section, sections 14-12 of the general statutes, as amended by this act, 16a-3e of the general statutes, as amended by this act, and 43-3a of the general statutes and sections 5 and 7 of this act:
(1) "Battery electric vehicle" means any vehicle that operates solely by use of a battery or battery pack, or that is powered primarily through the use of an electric battery or battery pack and uses a flywheel or capacitor that stores energy produced by an electric motor or through regenerative braking to assist in vehicle operation;
(2) "Electric vehicle" means any battery electric vehicle, fuel cell electric vehicle, plug-in hybrid electric vehicle or range-extended battery electric vehicle;
(3) "Fuel cell electric vehicle" means any vehicle that operates solely by use of a fuel cell, as defined in subparagraph (B)(i) of subdivision (113) of section 12-412 of the general statutes;
(4) "Hybrid electric vehicle" means a motor vehicle that allows power to be delivered to the driver wheels solely by a battery-powered electric motor that also incorporates the use of a combustion engine to provide power to the battery, or any vehicle that allows power to be delivered to the driver wheels by either a combustion engine or by a battery-powered electric motor, or both;
(5) "Plug-in hybrid electric vehicle" means a hybrid electric vehicle that has the capability to charge the battery or batteries used for vehicle propulsion from an off-vehicle electric source, such that the off-vehicle source cannot be connected to the vehicle while the vehicle is in motion; and
(6) "Range-extended battery electric vehicle" means a vehicle (A) powered predominantly by a zero-emission energy storage device, (B) with a manufacturer rating of more than seventy-five all-electric miles, and (C) equipped with a backup auxiliary power unit that does not operate until the energy storage device is fully depleted.
Sec. 2. Section 14-12 of the general statutes is amended by adding subsection (l) as follows (Effective July 1, 2016):
(NEW) (l) Not later than January 1, 2018, the Department of Motor Vehicles shall record the number of electric vehicles, as defined in section 1 of this act, registered in the state. This data shall be publicly available on the department's Internet web site and shall include (1) the number of electric vehicles registered in the state each year, and (2) the total number of electric vehicles registered in the state. The department shall update this information every six months.
Sec. 3. Section 16-1 of the 2016 supplement to the general statutes is amended by adding subsection (c) as follows (Effective July 1, 2016):
(NEW) (c) An owner of an electric vehicle charging station, as defined in section 16-19f, as amended by this act, shall not be deemed to be a "utility", "public utility" or "public service company" solely by virtue of the fact that such owner is an owner of an electric vehicle charging station.
Sec. 4. Section 16-19f of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2016):
(1) "Cost of service" means an electric utility rate for a class of consumer which is designed, to the maximum extent practicable, to reflect the cost to the utility in providing electric service to such class;
(2) "Declining block rate" means an electric utility rate for a class of consumer which prices successive blocks of electricity consumed by such consumer at lower per-unit prices;
(3) "Time of day rate" means an electric utility rate for a class of consumer which is designed to reflect the cost to the utility of providing electricity to such consumer at different times of the day;
(4) "Seasonal rate" means an electric utility rate for a class of consumer designed to reflect the cost to the utility in providing electricity to such consumer during different seasons of the year;
(5) "Electric vehicle time of day rate" means an electric utility rate for a class of consumer designed to reflect the cost to the utility of providing electricity to such consumer charging an electric vehicle at [a public] an electric vehicle charging station at different times of the day, but shall not include demand charges;
(6) "Electric vehicle charging station" means an electric component assembly or cluster of component assemblies designed specifically to charge batteries within electric vehicles by permitting the transfer of electric energy to a battery or other storage device in an electric vehicle;
[(6)] (7) "Public electric vehicle charging station" means an electric vehicle charging station [, electric recharging point, charging point or electric vehicle supply equipment, which is an element in an infrastructure that supplies electricity for the recharging of plug-in electric vehicles, including all-electric cars, neighborhood electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids, and which allows any electric vehicle owner or operator to access and use the charging station free of charge] located at a publicly available parking space;
(8) "Publicly available parking space" means a parking space that has been designated by a property owner or lessee to be available to, and accessible by, the public and may include on-street parking spaces and parking spaces in surface lots or parking garages, but shall not include: (A) A parking space that is part of, or associated with, a private residence; (B) a parking space that is reserved for the exclusive use of an individual driver or vehicle or for a group of drivers or vehicles, such as employees, tenants, visitors, residents of a common interest development, or residents of an adjacent building; or (C) a parking space reserved for persons who are blind and persons with disabilities as described in section 14-253a;
[(7)] (9) "Interruptible rate" means an electric utility rate designed to reflect the cost to the utility in providing service to a consumer where such consumer permits his service to be interrupted during periods of peak electrical demand; and
[(8)] (10) "Load management techniques" means cost-effective techniques used by an electric utility to reduce the maximum kilowatt demand on the utility.
(b) The Public Utilities Regulatory Authority, with respect to each electric public service company, [and each municipal electric company,] shall (1) within two years, consider and determine whether it is appropriate to implement any of the following rate design standards: (A) Cost of service; (B) prohibition of declining block rates; (C) time of day rates; (D) seasonal rates; (E) interruptible rates; and (F) load management techniques, and (2) [within one year] not later than June 1, 2017, consider and determine whether it is appropriate to implement electric vehicle time of day rates for residential and commercial customers. The consideration of said standards by the authority [and each municipal electric company] shall be made after public notice and hearing. Such hearing may be held concurrently with a hearing required pursuant to subsection (b) of section 16-19e. The authority [and each municipal company] shall make a determination on whether it is appropriate to implement any of said standards. Said determination shall be in writing, shall take into consideration the evidence presented at the hearing and shall be available to the public. A standard shall be deemed to be appropriate for implementation if such implementation would encourage energy conservation, optimal and efficient use of facilities and resources by an electric public service company [or municipal electric company] and equitable rates for electric consumers.
(c) Each municipal electric company shall (1) within two years, consider and determine whether it is appropriate to implement any of the following rate design standards: (A) Cost of service; (B) prohibition of declining block rates; (C) time of day rates; (D) seasonal rates; (E) interruptible rates; and (F) load management techniques, and (2) not later than June 1, 2017, consider and determine whether it is appropriate to implement electric vehicle time of day rates for residential and commercial customers. The consideration of said standards by each municipal electric company shall be made after public notice and hearing. Each municipal electric company shall make a determination on whether it is appropriate to implement any of said standards. Said determination shall be in writing, shall take into consideration the evidence presented at the hearing and shall be available to the public. A standard shall be deemed to be appropriate for implementation if such implementation would encourage energy conservation, optimal and efficient use of facilities and resources by a municipal electric company and equitable rates for electric consumers.
[(c)] (d) The Public Utilities Regulatory Authority, with respect to each electric public service company, and each municipal electric company may implement any standard determined under subsection (b) of this section to be appropriate or decline to implement any such standard. If the authority or a municipal electric company declines to implement any standard determined to be appropriate, it shall state in writing its reasons for doing so and make such statement available to the public.
[(d)] (e) The provisions of this section shall not apply to any municipal electric company which has total annual sales of electricity for purposes other than resale of five hundred million kilowatt-hours or less.
Sec. 5. (NEW) (Effective July 1, 2016) (a) The Public Utilities Regulatory Authority shall require each electric distribution company, as defined in section 16-1 of the general statutes, as amended by this act, to integrate electric vehicle charging load projections into such company's distribution planning. Such projections shall be based on the number of electric vehicles, as defined in section 1 of this act, registered in the state and projected increases or decreases in sales of such vehicles.
(b) Not later than January 1, 2017, and annually thereafter, each electric distribution company shall publish on such company's Internet web site a report explaining the incorporation of such company's electric vehicle charging load projections for the company's distribution planning.
Sec. 6. Section 16a-3e of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2016):
The Integrated Resources Plan, [to be adopted in 2012 and biennially thereafter] as described in section 16a-3a, shall (1) indicate specific options to reduce electric rates and costs. Such options may include the procurement of new sources of generation. In the review of new sources of generation, the Integrated Resources Plan shall indicate whether the private wholesale market can supply such additional sources or whether state financial assistance, long-term purchasing of electricity contracts or other interventions are needed to achieve the goal; (2) analyze in-state renewable sources of electricity in comparison to transmission line upgrades or new projects and out-of-state renewable energy sources, provided such analysis also considers the benefits of additional jobs and other economic impacts and how they are created and subsidized; (3) include an examination of average consumption and other states' best practices to determine why electricity rates are lower elsewhere in the region; (4) assess and compare the cost of transmission line projects, new power sources, renewable sources of electricity, conservation and distributed generation projects to ensure the state pursues only the least-cost alternative projects; (5) analyze the potential for electric vehicles, as defined in section 1 of this act, to provide energy storage and other services to the electric grid and identify strategies to ensure that the grid is prepared to support increased electric vehicle charging, based on projections of sales of electric vehicles; (6) continually monitor supply and distribution systems to identify potential need for transmission line projects early enough to identify alternatives; and [(6)] (7) assess the least-cost alternative to address reliability concerns, including, but not limited to, lowering electricity demand through conservation and distributed generation projects before an electric distribution company submits a proposal for transmission lines or transmission line upgrades to the independent system operator or the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, provided no provision of such plan shall be deemed to prohibit an electric distribution company from making any filing required by law or regulation.
Sec. 7. (NEW) (Effective July 1, 2016) (a) The owner or operator of a public electric vehicle charging station, as defined in section 16-19f of the general statutes, as amended by this act, that requires payment of a fee shall provide multiple payment options that allow access by the public.
(b) The owner or operator of a public electric vehicle charging station shall disclose the location and characteristics of each such public electric vehicle charging station, including, but not limited to, the address, voltage and timing restrictions, to the federal database operated by the United States Department of Energy Alternative Fuels Data Center.
(c) No person shall park in a space equipped with a public electric vehicle charging station, unless such person is operating a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle or battery electric vehicle, as defined in section 1 of this act.
(d) The owner or operator of a public electric vehicle charging station may impose restrictions on the amount of time that an electric vehicle may be charged at the charging station.
(e) (1) Owners or operators of public electric vehicle charging stations that require payment of a fee shall not require persons desiring to use such public electric vehicle charging station to pay a subscription fee or otherwise obtain a membership in any club, association or organization as a condition of using such public electric vehicle charging station.
(2) Notwithstanding subdivision (1) of this subsection, owners or operators of public electric vehicle charging stations that require payment of a fee may have different price schedules that are conditioned on a subscription or membership in a club, association or organization.
Sec. 8. Subsection (b) of section 43-3 of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2016):
(b) Notwithstanding any regulations to the contrary, the following weighing and measuring devices shall be registered annually with the commissioner and the commissioner shall charge the following annual registration fees: (1) Each motor fuel dispenser and public electric vehicle charging station, as defined in section 16-19f, as amended by this act, fifty dollars; (2) each large weighing or measuring device, two hundred fifty dollars; (3) each medium weighing or measuring device, one hundred dollars; and (4) each small weighing or measuring device, thirty dollars.
Sec. 9. Subsection (a) of section 14-103d of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2016):
(a) No motor vehicle which uses any pressurized gas except natural gas or hydrogen as a fuel for its engine may enter or be parked in any area that is under grade level. Any vehicle within the state which carries any pressurized gas as its fuel in a tank attached to the vehicle in any concealed area, including, but not limited to, trunks, compartments or under such vehicle, except a vehicle that is in compliance with all applicable federal codes and standards for light duty passenger use, shall have displayed on its exterior the words "Pressurized Flammable Gas" or a standard abbreviation or symbol as determined by the Office of the State Fire Marshal, in block letters at least two inches high, which letters shall be of contrasting colors and shall be placed as near as possible to the area where the tank is located. No person may dispense any pressurized gas used as a vehicle fuel into any tank in a concealed area of a vehicle unless the vehicle is in compliance with the requirements of this subsection. The Commissioner of Motor Vehicles shall adopt regulations in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54 to carry out the provisions of this section.