Connecticut Public Act 12-148: An Act Enhancing Emergency Preparedness and Response
Connecticut’s Public Act 12-148, ‘An Act Enhancing Emergency Preparedness and Response,’ was signed into law by Governor Malloy in July 2012 to improve the ability of the state, municipalities, and utility companies to better prepare for natural disasters and other emergencies. The legislation is designed to strengthen infrastructure, bolster local preparedness training, improve communication between state and local leaders, and to hold utilities accountable for preparedness planning.
Public Act 12-148 will help improve emergency preparedness for natural disasters and intense weather events by:
- Establishing standards for the utility, telecommunication, and cable companies during emergency events and establishing penalties in the event the companies do not meet these standards;
- Requiring utility companies, telecommunication companies, and Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) Service Providers to submit emergency plans for restoring service;
- Creating a microgrid pilot program to be administered by the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection;
- Studying the feasibility of requiring backup power for telecommunications towers and antennas;
- Encouraging the coordination of underground infrastructure projects; and
- Requiring the development of procedures to expedite the process of road-clearing following an emergency.
Pursuant to the Act, in April, 2013, Connecticut launched a statewide microgrid pilot program – designed to provide electricity on a 24/7 basis to critical facilities during electric grid outages. The initial $15 million allocated from the state’s budget for the pilot program is administered by Connecticut’s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP). Following Hurricane Sandy, another $30 million in funding was added for a second round of microgrid programs – of which final selections will be announced in October 2014.
In accordance with the passage of the Act, DEEP initiated the microgrid grant program to help communities establish distributed generation networks to keep critical infrastructure operational when the power goes down. Governor Malloy’s first-in-the-nation microgrid grant program will reduce system and community vulnerabilities to power outages from extreme weather and to help mitigate human suffering, and enable faster recovery after storm events. This program will provide power for critical government services and businesses such as police, fire, and emergency response teams, hospitals and health care facilities, state and municipal emergency response centers, grocery stores and gas stations, and to help support recovery efforts.
Publication Date: July 1, 2012
Related Organizations:
- Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (CT DEEP)
Sectors:
Resource Category:
Resource Types:
- Laws
States Affected:
Impacts:
