Dive Brief:

• Connecticut lawmakers are considering a proposal to significantly expand the amount of renewable energy projects utilities can own and operate, along with a host of other proposed bills currently under review.
• Hartford Business reports that half dozen energy proposals are in the state's legislature, including an expansion of virtual net metering and potential inclusion of nuclear power in the state's renewable portfolio standard.
• The solar measure, if approved, would allow utilities Eversource and Avangrid to grow the size of renewable facilities they own from 30 MW to 200 MW, but the newspaper reports its future is unclear amid an unusual cross section of supporters.

Dive Insight:

Connecticut lawmakers are reviewing a slate of proposals which largely mirrors energy policy discussions going on across the nation – the growth of solar, nuclear's struggle to maintain its place in the generation mix, the rise of new technologies and debates over distributed energy.

According to Hartford Business, the state is considering about a half dozen bills and a few more proposals are being considered.

But the biggest issue at play is a bill supported by Avangrid, and opposed by Eversource. The bill would raise a cap on the size of renewable projects utilities in the state can own, but Eversource claims it would prefer to focus on 240 MW of renewable projects coordinated through a process with the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.