Connecticut Lawmakers Approve Wind Regulations

On Earth Day, April 22, the Connecticut Legislative Review Committee approved proposed regulations that will allow for the siting of wind turbines in the state. The new regulations would end what has effectively been a three-year moratorium on new wind power projects in Connecticut.

In 2011, the Connecticut General Assembly passed Public Act No. 11-245, An Act Requiring the Adoption of Regulations for the Siting of Wind Projects (the "Act"). The Act directed the Connecticut Siting Council (the "Siting Council"), the state entity with jurisdiction over the siting of power and telecommunications facilities, to adopt regulations for the siting of wind turbines on or before July 1, 2012. The Act further stated that no wind turbine could be sited before the new regulations were adopted. The Siting Council has been working since that time to promulgate regulations and has had multiple versions rejected by the Legislative Review Committee before this latest version was