TheConnecticut House of Representatives [official website] on Thursday passed [vote record] SB-1501 [text, pdf] that could allow the state’s nuclear power plants to enter into a competitive procurement process with other zero carbon energy sources.

Before the Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection and the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority [official website] is able to start the competitive procurement process, however, his department must complete an appraisal to determine if the competitive procurement process for nuclear power plants is in the best interest for ratepayers. The appraisal is already underway and is scheduled for delivery by February 1, 2018. The appraisal will be based on electric reliability, green house emissions, fuel diversity, and alignment with policy goals.

The competitive procurement process will be open to nuclear power generation facilities, hydropower, Class I renewable energy sources, and energy storage systems. The agreements entered under the procurement process will still need to be approved by the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority [official website].

Thursday’s House vote comes a month after the Senate approved [SB-1501 materials] the measure last month. The bill needs to be approved by Governor Dannel Malloy [official website] before becoming law.