Hartford Business Journal

32 ConneCTiCuT Green Guide • SprinG 2014 www.CTGreenGuide.com Opinion ediTorial Three Goals for New DEEP Commissioner R obert Klee's tenure as com- missioner of the Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection will be marked largely by the continuation of the goals, policies, programs, and theories set forth by his predecessor. While all that certainly is a full plate in itself, Klee must leave his own mark on the department and how Connecticut conducts its en- ergy and environmental business. To that end, here are three goals we would like to see Klee accomplish before his tenure is up. 1. Transparency — Connecticut doles out a lot of ratepayer and tax- payer money for energy programs, and it is not always clear why that money goes to certain projects and not others. The Public Utilities Regulatory Authority did a good job last year of unveiling the $1 billion secret behind who was receiving contracts under the state's Zero-emissions/ Low-emissions Renewable Energy Credit program. This transparency needs to be expanded to Energy Conscious Blueprint and other simi- lar programs where the state's utili- ties award ratepayer funds for goals like increased energy efficiency. DEEP needs to be more open with the reasoning behind its renewable energy procurement. In the past six months, DEEP awarded five contracts valued at more than $1.5 billion in order to bring down the cost of meet- ing the state's renewable portfolio standard goals. While presumably the contracts were selected because of their low costs, four went to out- of-state firms, one got former DEEP Commissioner Dan Esty sued, and another went to the sister company of electric utility Connecticut Light & Power. By making the selection pro- cess more transparent, the public will have more confidence these projects are selected for the right reasons. 2. Variety — Solar and fuel cell companies benefitted most dur- ing Esty's tenure as commissioner. That's because programs like ZREC/ LREC were set up to pick the lowest- cost technology, and solar and fuel cells are the lowest-cost renewables. While we are in favor of bringing down the cost of renewables and maximizing public investments in the sector, variety needs to play an important role in the development of the Connecticut clean energy industry. Run-of-river hydro, geo- thermal, wind, solar thermal, and in-state biomass are important technologies that should make up a diverse renewable portfolio in the state. Klee needs to make sure these industry subsectors feel supported. 3. Bipartisanship — Practically all of the energy and environmental pro- grams created during Esty's tenure did so with very little partisan bicker- ing. Klee needs to take this across- the-aisle agreement to a whole new level, to really marry Republicans and Democrats to these ideas. The window on Gov. Dannel P. Malloy's administration may be closing this year. Even if it doesn't, the theories and policies launched by DEEP over the last three years need plenty of time to grow. They cannot be subject to the whims of a particular administration or party. Klee needs to ensure that all parties feel they are being listened to when discussing the policy and practice of these programs. Robert Klee, the new commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection PhoTo | hBJ FiLE

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