Harbor Brook spilled its banks year after year until Meriden created a 14-acre park that doubles as a detention basin for water.
Jan Ellen Spiegel
Jan Ellen is CT Mirror's regular freelance Environment and Energy Reporter. As a freelance reporter, her stories have also appeared in The New York Times, The Boston Globe, Yale Climate Connections, and elsewhere. She is a former editor at The Hartford Courant, where she handled national politics including coverage of the controversial 2000 and 2004 presidential elections. She was an editor at the Gazette in Colorado Springs and spent more than 20 years as a TV and radio producer at CBS News and CNN in New York and in the Boston broadcast market. In 2013 she was the recipient of a Knight Journalism Fellowship at MIT on energy and climate. She graduated from the University of Michigan and attended Boston University’s graduate film program.
Posted inEnergy & Environment
CT’s small solutions to climate change: creating salt marsh in Stonington
When a coastal meadow preserve was swamped during Superstorm Sandy, the land conservancy decided to let nature take over. And it worked.
Posted inEnergy & Environment
CT’s small solutions to climate change: new tool shows effects of sea level rise
Forewarned is forearmed. New viewer developed by the state has some important news about the future effects of sea level rise.
Posted inEconomic Development, Energy & Environment
CT offshore wind may face some rough seas
Connecticut could be facing a couple of obstacles as it pursues offshore wind projects: one from the feds; another self-inflicted.
Posted inEnergy & Environment
Shared solar program heading towards approval, complaints in tow
After more than five years of arguing, final program rules for a shared solar program in Connecticut are ready for approval. And just about everyone is still arguing.
Posted inEnergy & Environment
With air quality on the line, CT is ready to fight new Trump power plan
Connecticut plans to sue the Trump administration over a plan that could keep coal plants running dirtier and longer.
Posted inEnergy & Environment
Environmental measures win quiet, but major, victories
Even with the budget and issues like highway tolls getting most of the legislative attention, environmental wins were big, meaningful and without drama – for a change.
Posted inEnergy & Environment
Connecticut takes a major step into offshore wind
With a unanimous vote in the Senate, Connecticut takes a big step toward becoming a major player in offshore wind off the coast of New England.
Posted inEnergy & Environment
Once again, it’s not easy being green
Elaborate plans for an ambitious one-off state incarnation of a green new deal were substantially scaled back when the legislation came to the House floor on Tuesday.
Posted inEconomic Development, Energy & Environment
Katie Dykes takes helm at DEEP in era of escalating climate change
Katie Dykes’ new job as DEEP commissioner brings old and new challenges, such as the growing threat of climate change.
Posted inEnergy & Environment
Climate change versus Tweed Airport
Tweed Airport in New Haven is built on salt marsh and has flooded for years, but that hasn’t stopped lawmakers from considering a bill to expand and lengthen its runways.
Posted inEnergy & Environment
Fighting Trump’s environmental policies, Tong picks up where Jepsen left off
Connecticut’s new attorney general is taking on the Trump administration’s environmental rollbacks.
Posted inEnergy & Environment
Future of the gas tax? Running on empty.
The gas tax is at the core of the tolls debate. Climate change is at the core of the gas tax. But switching to electric vehicles will mean less gas tax revenue.
Posted inEnergy & Environment
Millstone deal reached, set to run for another 10 years
The Millstone Nuclear Power Station and Connecticut’s two utilities beat a negotiating deadline to keep the plant running for at least another 10 years.
Posted inEnergy & Environment
Plastic bag ban proposals now include new wrinkle: taxes
Gov. Lamont has zeroed in on the elimination of plastic grocery bags as a possible revenue source. But the 19 other pieces of legislation that also seek their banishment are focused on the environmental benefits.
