The list below contains summaries of all Connecticut incentives and laws related to Biodiesel.
The Department of Economic and Community Development manages the Connecticut Qualified Biodiesel Producer Incentive Account and provides grants through the Biodiesel Production and Distribution Grant Program. A qualified biodiesel producer is eligible for up to 60 monthly payments, up to a total grant per fiscal year equal to: $0.30 per gallon for the first five million gallons of biodiesel produced; $0.20 per gallon for the second five million gallons of biodiesel produced; and $0.10 per gallon for the third five million gallons of biodiesel produced. If the total amount of funding available for the grant program is between $100,000 and $200,000, a qualified biodiesel producer is eligible for no more than $0.20 per gallon regardless of the number of gallons of biodiesel produced. If the total funding available equals $100,000 or less, the producer is eligible for no more than $0.10 per gallon, regardless of the total number of gallons of biodiesel produced. Any portion of biodiesel produced in excess of 15 million gallons per fiscal year is not eligible for these grants.
A qualified biodiesel producer that is not yet actively engaged in production may also receive a one-time grant for the purchase of equipment, cost of construction, or retrofit of a biodiesel production facility. The grant may not exceed $3 million, regardless of the number of facilities the producer owns. Additional grant funding up to $50,000 per distributor/site is available for the actual costs of creating storage and distribution capacity for biodiesel.
(Reference Connecticut General Statutes 32-324a through 32-324f)
The Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD) administers a fuel diversification grant program to provide funding to Connecticut institutions of higher education or institutions of agricultural research for purposes including research to promote biofuel production from agricultural products, algae and waste grease, as well as biofuel quality testing. DECD must report on the performance of the grant program on an annual basis. (Reference Connecticut General Statutes 32-324g)
The Connecticut Clean School Bus Program was created to: 1) establish grants for municipalities and local and regional school boards for reimbursement of the cost of retrofitting full-sized school buses that are projected to be in service on or after September 1, 2010; 2) develop and implement an outreach plan and educational materials, and; 3) assist municipalities and local and regional boards of education and bus companies in retrofitting their full-sized school buses. (Reference Connecticut General Statutes 22a-21j through 22a-21k)
Cars and light-duty trucks that a state agency purchases must: 1) have an average U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimated fuel economy of at least 40 miles per gallon; 2) comply with state fleet vehicle acquisition requirements set forth under the Energy Policy Act of 1992; and 3) obtain the best achievable fuel economy per pound of carbon dioxide emitted for the applicable vehicle classes. Alternative fuel vehicles (AFVs) that the state purchases to comply with these requirements must be capable of operating on an alternative fuel that is available in the state.
In addition, at least 50% of all cars and light-duty trucks that the state purchases or leases must be hybrid electric vehicles, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, or capable of using alternative fuel. All AFVs purchased or leased must be certified to the California Air Resources Board's (ARB) Ultra Low Emission Vehicle II (ULEV II) standard, and all light-duty gasoline vehicles and hybrid electric vehicles the state purchases or leases must be certified, at a minimum, to the California ARB ULEV II standard. Beginning January 1, 2012, the required percentage of alternative fuel or advanced vehicles increases to 100%. The Connecticut Department of Administrative Services must report annually on the composition of the state fleet, including the volume of alternative fuels used.
Vehicles that the Connecticut Department of Public Safety designates as necessary for the Department of Public Safety to carry out its mission are exempt from these provisions.
(Reference Executive Order 22, 2009, and Connecticut General Statutes 4a-67d)
Each full-sized school bus with an engine model year of 1994 or newer that transports children in the state must be equipped with specific emissions control systems, including either: 1) a closed crankcase filtration system and a level 1, level 2, or level 3 device; 2) an engine that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has certified as meeting Model Year 2007 emissions standards; or 3) use of compressed natural gas or other alternative fuel that EPA or the California Air Resources Board has certified to reduce particulate matter emissions by at least 85% as compared to ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel. (Reference Connecticut General Statutes 14-164o)