CT Green Energy News Sept. 13, 2024

Excerpts from CT Green Energy News, a publication of People’s Action for Clean Energy (PACE). Visit their website to get the latest CT-focused energy news delivered to your inbox each Friday: pacecleanenergy.org.

As tri-state offshore wind auction moves forward, CT decides to delay decision
Connecticut Public.​ Connecticut surprised some environ-mentalists on Friday, when Massachusetts and Rhode Island were the only states to announce which new offshore wind turbine projects they would buy electricity from, if the projects are constructed. “The evaluation of project bids remains underway in Connecticut and we will announce a final decision in our solicitation at a future date,” a CT Department of Energy and Environmental Protection spokesperson said in a statement.

CT was no-show at wind energy auction it helped organize.
Hartford Courant. Massachusetts has signaled it is recep-tive to an agreement, proposed by Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont, that could put Connecticut back into offshore wind procurement. Under the plan, according to industry and government officials, Massachusetts would join Connecticut in a long-term agreement to buy energy from the Millstone nuclear power station in Waterford. Connecticut, in return, would partner with Massachusetts on buying power from the offshore wind project Vineyard Wind 2, planned for a tract of ocean about 25 miles south of Martha’s Vineyard.

Opponents of proposed Brookfield gas compressor expansion bolstered by new study on health risks
NewsTimes. Bolstered by new research outlining the potential dangers of the project, town and state officials are engaged in an all-out effort to pull the plug on plans to expand a natural gas compressor station located near many homes and just 1,900 feet from Whisconier Middle School. The expansion would result in increased emissions of and exposure of local residents to toxins, including carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides….The study says the facility “should be over a mile away from residents,” [said Nick Katevich from the Sierra Club]…. “But in the Brookfield facility, there’s hundreds of residents that live within a half a mile of the facility…” Brookfield needs Gov. Ned Lamont and state Energy and Environmental Protection Commissioner Katie Dykes to take a stand against the expansion, he said.

Waterbury schools set for solar panel expansion
CT Examiner. The city school district aims to lead the region in solar power, with the Board of Aldermen set to approve bonding next week for panel installations at five more schools….“There is money available to get this done and the technology is further advanced today. [Solar panels] are much more efficient and they are more accepted than they once were.” Although there is bonding for the project, local leaders said the city would ultimately pay nothing for the installations…. “Essentially, we are getting these solar panels at zero cost to us,” said Board of Education Chief Operating Officer Nick Albini, noting that Waterbury will see $4.6 million in savings over 20 years.​

Opinion: CT leaders must address gas system ‘death spiral’
Kat Burnham, CT Mirror. Connecticut suffers from some of the highest electricity rates in the country, and these challenges need to be addressed urgently. But the conversation in the state about how to combat the growing cost of energy for households and businesses has so far been incomplete, focusing on only one half of the equation. Left entirely undiscussed: the gas utility sector and looming crisis of affordable heat…households and businesses are moving away from the direct use of gas, either for cost, comfort, climate, health, or safety reasons. The state’s natural gas utilities risk diminishing customer enrollment and demand per customer, spread over the same – or growing – infrastructure costs. This lethal confluence of trends is bound to send gas bills skyrocketing. Called the “gas utility death spiral,” this process will hit vulnerable communities (e.g. renters, low-income residents, fixed-income seniors) the hardest.

Opinion: Everyone in Connecticut has the right to clean air
Quanishe Flippen, Hartford Courant.  The Capitol Area System​ [CAS], which has a decades-long history of polluting our air, needs to be replaced. We have the opportunity to choose 100% clean, renewable energy solutions, such as ground-source electric heat pumps, that will significantly reduce harmful emissions and improve our air quality. These solutions are not just about cleaner air; they represent a commitment to the future of our children and our community…[So] it is disappointing to see that the ​[CAS] study still includes fossil fuel options. This is not just a step backward for Hartford; it’s a step backward for our entire state. Governor Lamont and our leaders must act on their commitments to clean energy and reject any fossil fuel alternatives. Our health, our environment, and our future depend on it.