(a) The Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection, in consultation with the electric distribution companies, shall review the state’s energy and capacity resource assessment and approve the Integrated Resources Plan for the procurement of energy resources, including, but not limited to, conventional and renewable generating facilities, energy efficiency, load management, demand response, combined heat and power facilities, distributed generation and other emerging energy technologies to meet the projected requirements of customers in a manner that minimizes the cost of all energy resources to customers over time and maximizes consumer benefits consistent with the state’s environmental goals and standards, including, but not limited to, the state’s greenhouse gas reduction goals established in § 22a-200a. The Integrated Resources Plan shall seek to lower the cost of electricity while meeting such environmental goals and standards in the most cost-effective manner.

(b) On or before January 1, 2020, and biennially thereafter, the Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection, in consultation with the electric distribution companies, shall prepare an assessment of (1) the energy and capacity requirements of customers for the next three, five and ten years, (2) the manner of how best to eliminate growth in electric demand, (3) how best to level electric demand in the state by reducing peak demand and shifting demand to off-peak periods, (4) the impact of current and projected environmental standards, including, but not limited to, those related to greenhouse gas emissions and the federal Clean Air Act goals and how different resources could help achieve those standards and goals, (5) energy security and economic risks associated with potential energy resources, and (6) the estimated lifetime cost and availability of potential energy resources.

(c) Resource needs shall first be met through all available energy efficiency and demand reduction resources that are cost-effective, reliable and feasible. The projected customer cost impact of any demand-side resources considered pursuant to this subsection shall be reviewed on an equitable basis with nondemand-side resources. The Integrated Resources Plan shall specify (1) the total amount of energy and capacity resources needed to meet the requirements of all customers, (2) the extent to which demand-side measures, including efficiency, conservation, demand response and load management can cost-effectively meet these needs in a manner that ensures equity in benefits and cost reduction to all classes and subclasses of consumers, (3) needs for generating capacity and transmission and distribution improvements, (4) how the development of such resources will reduce and stabilize the costs of electricity to each class and subclass of consumers, and (5) the manner in which each of the proposed resources should be procured, including the optimal contract periods for various resources.

(d) The Integrated Resources Plan shall consider: (1) Approaches to maximizing the impact of demand-side measures; (2) the extent to which generation needs can be met by renewable and combined heat and power facilities; (3) the optimization of the use of generation sites and generation portfolio existing within the state; (4) fuel types, diversity, availability, firmness of supply and security and environmental impacts thereof, including impacts on meeting the state’s greenhouse gas emission goals; (5) reliability, peak load and energy forecasts, system contingencies and existing resource availabilities; (6) import limitations and the appropriate reliance on such imports; (7) the impact of the Integrated Resources Plan on the costs of electric customers; and (8) the effects on participants and nonparticipants. Such plan shall include options for lowering the rates and cost of electricity.

(e) In approving the Integrated Resources Plan, the Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection shall conduct an uncontested proceeding that shall include not less than one public meeting and one technical meeting at which technical personnel shall be available to answer questions. Such meetings shall be transcribed and posted on the department‘s Internet web site. Not less than fifteen days before any such public meeting and thirty days before any such technical meeting, said commissioner shall publish notice of either such meeting and post the text of the proposed Integrated Resources Plan on the department’s Internet web site. Notice of such public meeting or technical meeting may also be published in one or more newspapers having state-wide circulation if deemed necessary by the commissioner. Such notice shall state the date, time, and place of the meeting, the subject matter of the meeting and time period during which comments may be submitted to said commissioner, the statutory authority for the proposed Integrated Resources Plan and the location where a copy of the proposed plan may be obtained or examined. Said commissioner shall provide a time period of not less than sixty days from the date the notice is published on the department’s Internet web site for public review and comment. Said commissioner shall consider fully all written and oral comments concerning the proposed Integrated Resources Plan after all public meetings and before approving the final plan. Said commissioner shall (1) notify by electronic mail each person who requests such notice, and (2) post on the department’s Internet web site the electronic text of the final Integrated Resources Plan and a report summarizing all public comments and the changes made to the final plan in response to such comments and the reasons therefor. The commissioner shall submit the final Integrated Resources Plan by electronic means, or as requested, to the joint standing committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to energy and the environment. Said commissioner may modify the Integrated Resources Plan to correct clerical errors at any time without following the procedures outlined in this subsection.

(f) Not later than two years after the adoption of the Integrated Resources Plan, and every two years thereafter, the Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection shall report to the joint standing committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to energy and the environment regarding goals established and progress toward implementation of said plan, as well as any recommendations concerning such plan. Any such report may be submitted electronically.

(g) All reasonable costs associated with the department’s development of the resource assessment and the Integrated Resources Plan shall be recoverable through the assessment in § 16-49. All electric distribution companies’ reasonable costs associated with the development of the plan shall be recoverable through a reconciling nonbypassable component of electric rates as determined by the authority.

(h) In the event that the Integrated Resources Plan approved by the Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection contains any provision the implementation of which requires funding through new or amended rates or charges, the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority may open a proceeding to review such provision, in accordance with the procedures established in sections 16-19 and 16-19e, to ensure that rates remain just and reasonable.

(i) For the Integrated Resources Plan next approved after June 14, 2018, the department shall include recommendations for the creation of a portfolio standard for thermal energy that may include, but not be limited to, biodiesel that is blended into home heating oil, provided the department shall consult with representatives of the heating oil industry and biodiesel producers during the development of such recommendations.

(j) For the Integrated Resources Plan next approved after January 1, 2019, the department shall determine (1) the quantity of energy the Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection may seek in any solicitation or solicitations of proposals initiated on or after January 1, 2020, pursuant to § 16a-3n, provided the quantity of energy sought in any such solicitations in the aggregate shall be from resources that have a total nameplate capacity rating of not more than two thousand megawatts in the aggregate, less any energy purchased pursuant to § 16a-3n on or before December 31, 2019; and (2) the timing and schedule of any solicitation or solicitations of proposals initiated on or after January 1, 2020, pursuant to § 16a-3n, provided such schedule shall provide for the solicitation of resources with a nameplate capacity rating of two thousand megawatts in the aggregate, less any energy purchased pursuant to § 16a-3n on or before December 31, 2019, by December 31, 2030. Such determinations shall be based on factors including, but not limited to, electricity system needs identified by the Integrated Resources Plan, including, but not limited to, capacity, winter reliability, progress in meeting the goals in the Global Warming Solutions Act pursuant to § 22a-200a, the priorities of the Comprehensive Energy Strategy adopted pursuant to § 16a-3d, positive impacts on the state’s economic development, opportunities to coordinate procurement with other states, forecasted trends in technology costs and impacts on the state’s ratepayers.