Wind Power News: Connecticut
These news and opinion items are gathered by National Wind Watch to help keep readers informed about developments related to industrial wind energy. They do not necessarily reflect the opinions of National Wind Watch. They are the products of and owned by the organizations or individuals noted and are shared here according to “fair use” and “fair dealing” provisions of copyright law.
State Pier redevelopment estimated to cost $235.5 million
New London – The state has put a $235.5 million overall price tag on the project to redevelop State Pier into an offshore wind hub. The figure represents the actual cost of the redevelopment, with $204 million for the construction project and an additional $31 million for “soft costs,” Office of Policy and Management Deputy Secretary Konstantinos Diamantis said during a State Bond Commission meeting Friday. During the meeting, the State Bond Commission approved $55 million toward redeveloping and upgrading the . . . Complete story »
Is wind turbine assembly an allowed water-dependent use of State Pier?
I know boatyard owners who live in fear that the big black enforcement SUVs of the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection might swoop in, desist orders flying, at the most minor of transgressions against the marine environment. Honestly, boatyard managers might hardly dare dump a wheelbarrow full of grass clippings into the water without checking to see if they need a permit. I can’t help but think of this reputation of environmental police for aggressive monitoring of private . . . Complete story »
Why are CT electric bills so high?
It’s no secret Connecticut residents pay among the highest electric bills in the country, although the reasons why are more of a mystery to many customers. John Blair, an energy expert with the Connecticut Business & Industry Association, said electric customers often do not understand what they are paying each month. “People are aghast at what goes into their energy costs,” Blair said. Connecticut residents pay the highest electric bills in New England – $147 a month on average, compared to . . . Complete story »
State Pier rehab plans moving through environmental approval process
Connecticut Port Authority critic Kevin Blacker, who has led opposition to the project, said he thought the project was not getting an unbiased review and DEEP was using bad judgment based on promises of “imaginary” jobs and revenues. “Acceptable. So that’s that’s the term Michael Grzywinski used to describe filling in seven acres of the Thames River. That’s a joke. I think that’s a slap in the face to every person that owns a marina who knows what the Connecticut DEEP makes them go through and how difficult it would be if they wanted to dump two wheelbarrows full of material into the river or the ocean,” Blacker said. “But when the state is doing a project, the rules go out the window.” Complete story »
Lamont should justify tens of millions in utility subsidies
In my mind he's largely investing in the hugely profitable wind farm projects of two rich utilities, one foreign, which are also eventually going to charge consumers above-market electric rates for the cost of building them, while taking a profit. One outrage of this hose-the-consumer/taxpayer plan is that neither the utility nor the state will even tell us how much we will pay for this offshore-generated electricity, despite the fact that they already know the price and have committed Connecticut residents and businesses to paying it. Complete story »
Some renewable power doesn’t make sense
In reading the Sunday, March 7, Business section, I was struck by the photograph of the wind farm on top of Saddleback Mountain in Maine. I wondered, does clear cutting mountain tops for coal have a different effect on these forests than clear cutting mountain tops for scores of wind turbines? In five or 10 years I can envision scenic photographs or postcards of the beautiful Fall foliage on hundreds of New England mountainsides in full glorious colors, all festooned . . . Complete story »
Attorney general says Connecticut Port Authority is being investigated
Attorney General William Tong announced Thursday that an investigation into the Connecticut Port Authority is already underway and is based on whistleblower complaints made in 2019. In concert with the Auditors of Public Accounts, the legislative agency that audits other state agencies, Tong said attorneys in a whistleblower unit, part of the Antitrust and Government Fraud Section, are in the process of probing possible violations of laws and the state Code of Ethics. Tong’s announcement is a response to a . . . Complete story »
New London granted intervenor status in State Pier hearing
New London – The city has been granted intervening party status in a hearing on the permitting process for the Connecticut Port Authority’s plans for State Pier. The decision comes as negotiations on a host community agreement, between the city and big players in the more than $150 million redevelopment project, have stalled. That has left New London without much of a voice in major decisions regarding the site and without what Mayor Michael Passero has called “a fair share” of . . . Complete story »
Connecticut Port Authority working to bring State Pier project on budget
New London – A state official involved in planning for the reconstruction project at State Pier in New London says efforts are underway to keep the project on budget. Kosta Diamantis, deputy secretary for the Office of Policy and Management, addressed the Connecticut Port Authority this week and fielded questions about the possibility of costs escalating for the $157 million project, which is being funded through a partnership by the state and joint venture partners Eversource and Ørsted. State Sen. Paul . . . Complete story »
Lamont vs. New London
If I had been drinking coffee when I read about Ned Lamont’s recent interview with The Day’s Editorial Board, I would most certainly have spit it out when I got to the part where the governor casually revealed that the estimated cost of his giant boondoggle at State Pier has, without explanation, risen by more than $40 million in less than a year. Yikes. The project to accommodate the offshore wind farm of two rich utilities, one foreign, started at . . . Complete story »
