WASHINGTON — The U.S. House has voted four times to approve bills that would halt the sale of Plum Island, but the Senate has never acted.
Energy and Environment
Posted inEnergy & Environment
Solar policy fight is picking up where it left off
The solar compensation policy that nearly derailed major energy legislation last session is back for a new go-round this session.
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Eliminate third-party electricity suppliers, officials urge
“We continue to see widespread and persistent marketing abuses by suppliers,” the state’s Consumer Counsel says.
Posted inEnergy & Environment
Nuclear wins big in clean energy competition – and not just Millstone
The final clean energy competition of the Malloy administration on Friday handed the Millstone Nuclear Power Station the lifeline it has sought for nearly two years claiming the plant was at risk of closing otherwise. In a blow to the environmental advocacy community, renewable power projects were awarded fewer than 20 percent of the total power production up for bid.
Posted inEnergy & Environment, Politics
PURA chair Katie Dykes named DEEP commissioner
In naming Katie Dykes as commissioner of the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, Gov.-elect Ned Lamont has chosen a person who is well known at DEEP. But she comes with much more of an energy than strict environmental background.
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CT’s clean energy battles transition from Malloy to Lamont
Efforts by the Malloy administration to move towards more renewable energy to help fight climate change are poised to shift to the Gov.-elect Ned Lamont, who has even more aggressive goals. But the battles the Malloy administration fought with the utilities for eight years, which are still unresolved, also are also poised to shift to the new governor.
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Connecticut’s vanishing shoreline: Towns trying to beat the odds
Shoreline resiliency against sea level rise and flooding in Connecticut is largely in the hands of local governments. But with money tight and local budgets reliant on the taxes shoreline properties generate, efforts to protect coastal communities from climate change have been slow and underfunded. Some communities, however, are making more progress than others.
Posted inEnergy & Environment, Politics
Opponents of Plum Island sale making gains
Washington – A coalition of environmental groups that oppose the federal government’s plan to sell Plum Island to the highest bidder are making progress on several fronts. The federal government has agreed to conduct a new environmental impact study of the proposed sale on the island’s diverse flora and fauna, while several bills that would block the sale are under consideration in Congress.
Posted inEnergy & Environment
CT senators demand DHS explain ban on Plum Island visitors
WASHINGTON – Connecticut’s senators, joined by one from New York, are demanding Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen explain why her agency has shut down visitor access to Plum Island, a spit of land in the Long Island Sound that for years has been shrouded in mystery.
Posted inEnergy & Environment
CT poised to catch brunt of Trump’s auto standard rollbacks
The Trump administration has unveiled its proposal to dramatically weaken auto emission and efficiency standards. Few states will feel the consequences of it more than Connecticut.
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Connecticut joins the offshore wind rush
Connecticut joined the offshore wind energy world Wednesday, awarding its first project to Deepwater Wind for a 200-megawatt installation off the coast. It comes with economic development enticements for New London and its port — and the potential for some 1,400 jobs.
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Connecticut on front line of key fights with Pruitt’s EPA
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has rejected Connecticut’s petition to force a power plant in York County, Pa. to cut down on smog pollutants that the state claims heavily contribute to its unhealthy air. But the state hopes to have other wins, and is at the forefront of the resistance to the agency’s proposed rollback of protections on air and water.
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After near derailment, energy bill heads to governor as fence-mending begins
Updated at 6:25 p.m.
After a near-death experience, energy legislation that will fundamentally change how renewable energy is valued financially in Connecticut passed the state House early Wednesday morning and is now headed to the governor for his expected signature. The legislature also completed action on an environmental bill.
Posted inEnergy & Environment
Energy bill sails through Senate over ferocious opposition by environmental, solar groups
After months of acrimonious wrangling over a new energy policy already delayed by more than a year, the Connecticut Senate overwhelming passed a plan that will fundamentally reimagine how the state values the solar energy people generate on their roofs.
Posted inEnergy & Environment
Energy bill still embroiled in controversy but probably heading to the floor
With only days to spare, the most consequential energy legislation in years appears to be just about ready for a vote in the General Assembly. But even with massive revisions, it is still facing controversy.