Highlights from CT Green Energy News, April 21, 2023
Newsletter about clean energy, energy efficiency, and climate action, focusing on Connecticut. To subscribe, send an email to [email protected]. To learn more about People’s Action for Clean Energy (PACE), visit www.pacecleanenergy.org.
Pass SB 1145 to achieve Connecticut’s climate goals
CT Mirror. ”SB 1145, An Act Concerning the Establishment of Sector Specific Subtargets For Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reductions, would provide the necessary tools for our state to achieve the climate goals we have already set. Legislators must make its passage—this session— a priority…we are falling short of our goals…SB 1145 would help address this shortfall by making significant improvements to the Global Warming Solutions Act and helping set a clear path for how we are going to decarbonize…our state agencies, particularly the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP), must have at least a minimum of authority to act… our neighbors have already undertaken similar measures. Massachusetts, New York, Rhode Island, and Vermont have all recently updated their climate laws to adopt more stringent targets, establish greater accountability, and provide mechanisms for enforcing their laws.”
Electric school buses serve as mini power plants during the summer
WBUR. “Beverly Public Schools is one of the first in the country to use its electric buses for more than transportation. The project uses bidirectional chargers that can both charge the bus battery and also allow the battery to send energy back to the grid…The concept is simple, but the execution is complicated. That’s where Highland Electric Fleets comes in; the company has made a business out of buying and then leasing electric buses to schools. It orchestrates everything from constructing the chargers on site to managing charging and discharging of the batteries. The company also maintains the buses and trains the drivers. Highland Electric Fleets sells this service to schools for about the cost of a regular school bus.”
DEEP Says Transportation Still The Main Culprit of Greenhouse Gas Emissions
CT News Junkie. “With the exception of a short period during the COVID-19 pandemic, cars and trucks still remain the top producers of greenhouse gas emissions…The report found that even though improvements in fuel economy have reduced emissions per mile traveled, those reductions have been offset by an increase in the overall number of miles driven…DEEP said that reductions in the transportation sector are a critical component of any strategy the state employs toward meeting the 2030 and 2050 reduction goals…The second biggest culprit of greenhouse gas is residential heating and cooling, which has replaced the electric sector as the second-largest emitter in the state; and electric-sector emissions continue to decrease. While Connecticut has met its initial goal for 2020 emissions set by Connecticut statutes, further sharp reductions are needed to meet the medium- and longer-term goals, the agency said.”