State of Connecticut Begins Planning for Peak Oil

State Rep. Terry Backer (D-Stratford) announced passage of a bill he authored, House Bill#5724, An Act Concerning Energy Scarcity And Security, that will take steps to ensure Connecticut’s energy planning is in place and alternative strategies have been designed to address the ever increasing cost and potential supply disruption in the face of global oil supply constrictions.

Representative Backer, co-founder of the Connecticut Legislative Peak Oil and Natural Gas Caucus said, “We are standing at the doorstep of a sea change in energy and our consumption of it. The world’s oil supply so critical to every aspect of modern life and is not keeping pace with demand globally. It is unlikely that enough supply and flow will ever be generated to satisfy the global economy and demand

The measure directs the Office of Policy and Management to develop through third parties a scenario planning model as a forecasting tool to determine the impact of escalating oil and natural gas cost and both long and short term oil supply disruptions on almost every activity dependent on petroleum. The output of the model will be used to develop intelligent responses and policies regarding ways to mitigate the economic impact and other impacts on the state, municipalities as well as private citizens.