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- Feed Preview Jan Ellen Spiegel, Environmental Reporter
Is CT’s electric grid ready to handle more power?
Some say we aren't ready to require electric power, because the grid can't yet handle it. Others say policy signals drive development.
Plans for offshore wind power blow back into New England
The largest proposal received from a three-state solicitation came from Avangrid, which had pulled out of a CT project called Park City Wind.
https://ctmirror.org/2024/03/27/ct-offshore-wind-park-city-avangrid-2/
Thousands of dams in CT pose risks and challenges
Thousands of aging dams in CT challenge the officials that oversee and regulate them — and almost every town with conflicting priorities.
https://ctmirror.org/2024/03/10/ct-dam-flooding-fitchville-pond/
CT legislators take another swing at a big climate bill
The bill has 17 multi-part initiatives designed to address climate change, but it is not a comprehensive greenhouse gas reduction roadmap.
https://ctmirror.org/2024/03/04/ct-climate-bill-2024-legislative-session/
What CT could learn from other states’ climate change policies
There could be lessons for CT in the region and beyond for innovative ways to tackle climate change from energy and emissions standpoints.
https://ctmirror.org/2024/02/01/what-ct-could-learn-from-other-states-climate-change-policies/
After a lackluster 2023, CT’s efforts on climate policy are still stalled
Even as extreme weather fueled by climate change pummeled Connecticut last year, all major climate legislation failed.
BEST OF 2023: Climate change has hit CT hard this year. Are we ready for more?
Planning for this sort of climate change-driven weather certainly requires physics and meteorology -- but also probably a crystal ball.
https://ctmirror.org/2023/12/27/ct-climate-change-preparation-flooding-drought-hurricanes-2/
For CT towns struggling to deal with flooding, help is on the way
Nonprofits can facilitate flood remediation projects, and CT towns now have access to grant writing support, resilience training and more.
https://ctmirror.org/2023/11/30/ct-climate-change-flooding-local-solutions/
Facing defeat, Lamont withdraws regs phasing out new gas car sales
Gov. Ned Lamont’s administration withdrew the regulations after learning that the Regulation Review Committee had enough votes to kill them.
https://ctmirror.org/2023/11/27/ct-gas-car-ban-regulation-withdrawn-ned-lamont/
The forgotten reasons behind CT’s ban on new gasoline car sales
Lost in the battle over CT's rule requiring sales of only zero-emissions new cars by 2035 is the reason for the rule: the environment.
https://ctmirror.org/2023/11/24/ct-gas-car-ban-electric-vehicles-ev/
With more and heavier rain, more inland flooding in CT
Nonprofits have become essential tools for CT towns that generally lack the expertise to figure out and solve inland flooding issues.
With CT shoreline flooding rising, officials turn to natural mitigation
Along CT's shoreline, salt marsh remediation is being explored as a natural solution for flooding. But it often takes non-governmental action.
https://ctmirror.org/2023/11/05/ct-shoreline-flooding-climate-change/
CT’s warm, wet El Niño forecast – but don’t put away the shovels
The effect of El Niño on the Northeast's weather is tricky to predict. But the forecast is warmer and wetter than normal.
https://ctmirror.org/2023/11/01/ct-el-nino-winter-weather-forecast/
No hydrogen hub for CT and the Northeast
Connecticut and the Northeast came up losers in the competition for regional hydrogen hubs, despite its history in the fuel cell industry.
https://ctmirror.org/2023/10/13/ct-hydrogen-hub-biden-infrastructure-law/
As flooding worsens in CT, its drainage systems can’t keep up
CT has updated its stormwater manual with stricter regulations for how municipalities and some large institutions handle stormwater.
https://ctmirror.org/2023/10/08/ct-stormwater-flooding-climate-change-drainage-manual/
With 3-state deal, Lamont doubles down on offshore wind
Despite recent industry setbacks, CT is joining Massachusetts and Rhode Island in jointly purchasing power to be generated by offshore wind.
https://ctmirror.org/2023/10/04/ct-offshore-wind-new-england-deal-ned-lamont-avangrid/
CT’s biggest offshore wind project nearly dead in the water
CT’s utilities and Park City Wind developer Avangrid ended an agreement, saying economic headwinds have made the project no longer viable.
https://ctmirror.org/2023/10/03/cts-biggest-offshore-wind-project-nearly-dead-in-the-water/
Climate change has hit CT hard this year. Are we ready for more?
Planning for this sort of climate change-driven weather certainly requires physics and meteorology -- but also probably a crystal ball.
https://ctmirror.org/2023/08/02/ct-climate-change-preparation-flooding-drought-hurricanes/
Is the Connecticut Green Bank still green?
The legislature changed the Green Bank’s statute to allow it to fund waste-to-energy technologies like those used in Connecticut now.
Legislature’s inaction on food waste leaves towns holding the (trash) bag
The CT legislature didn't provide funding to help municipalities get food out of the waste stream. Now, cities must pay the price.
https://ctmirror.org/2023/06/21/ct-food-waste-disposal-cities-pay-funding-deep/
Climate change all but ignored by the CT legislature in 2023
CT's environmental community never had high hopes for legislation this session to address climate change, waste disposal or other issues.
https://ctmirror.org/2023/06/08/ct-climate-change-bill-environment-deep-bears/
A CT bear bill tramps toward the finish line. Here’s what it would do
The bill that has emerged from the CT legislature has no bear hunting, but clarifies when bears can be killed and bans intentional feeding.
https://ctmirror.org/2023/05/24/ct-bear-hunting-bill-feeding-killing-bears/
Is CT’s largest offshore wind project headed for the shoals?
The developer of Park City Wind may be trying to alter its contract with the state. And that's not the only problem the project faces.
https://ctmirror.org/2023/05/22/ct-offshore-wind-project-park-city-renewable-energy/
Advocates searching for any kind of legislative win on environment
The biggest climate bill proposed in CT this year is dead, and a few smaller measures could be the stars of the 2023 legislative session.
https://ctmirror.org/2023/05/19/ct-climate-change-environment-trash-energy/
Building emissions are the climate change contributor you hadn’t heard of – until now
Building emissions are CT's second-largest category of greenhouse gas emissions — and they're growing. Is the state addressing them?
https://ctmirror.org/2023/04/28/ct-building-emissions-greenhouse-gas-climate-change/
Connecticut’s new bottle law — the bumpy road to 10 cents
CT's bottle and can deposit-and-return system saw changes in January, but there have been disputes and delays along the way.
https://ctmirror.org/2023/02/09/ct-bottle-bill-can-5-cent-deposit-law-change/
Energy and environment legislative priorities include garbage, power and bears (Oh my!)
CT legislators will weigh solutions to high energy rates, waste disposal problems, and the rising black bear population in 2023.
https://ctmirror.org/2023/01/24/ct-energy-environment-black-bears-waste-disposal/
Air quality can affect health. Climate change is worsening both.
In CT and beyond, emissions worsen air quality and contribute to global warming, which can cause or exacerbate air quality degradation.
https://ctmirror.org/2023/01/22/ct-climate-change-air-quality-health-problems/
The winter energy crunch, what it costs, and what it will take to fix it
Spiking winter energy prices are the result of a crisis that has been a decade in the making, after New England opted to bet on natural gas.
https://ctmirror.org/2023/01/03/ct-energy-winter-shortage-natural-gas/
BEST OF 2022: How heat affects health: An overlooked outcome of climate change
Health professionals are realizing how much climate change — especially more heat — can lead to cascading effects on human health.
https://ctmirror.org/2022/12/30/ct-heat-health-climate-change/
BEST OF 2022: Efforts to get food out of the waste stream finding more support
A number of projects are underway to solve the food waste problem, which many say is the linchpin to Connecticut's waste disposal crisis.
Lamont scores some wins on environmental issues, but luck had a hand
As Gov. Ned Lamont heads toward election day, he can point to a robust climate change record — thanks largely to the Biden administration.
https://ctmirror.org/2022/11/01/ct-ned-lamont-bob-stefanowski-environment-climate-change/
How heat affects health: An overlooked outcome of climate change
Health professionals are realizing how much climate change — especially more heat — can lead to cascading effects on human health.
Supreme Court deals climate change fight a major blow in EPA ruling
The decision is likely to have far broader impacts, not only on environmental regulation but also on actions by other federal agencies.
https://ctmirror.org/2022/06/30/supreme-court-ruling-climate-change-epa/
A key rule on the New England power grid will end, but not for a while
At the last minute, ISO-New England filed a plan to keep the MOPR - a rule that makes it harder for renewables to join the grid - until 2025.
Efforts to get food out of the waste stream finding more support
A number of projects are underway to solve the food waste problem, which many say is the linchpin to Connecticut's waste disposal crisis.
https://ctmirror.org/2022/05/22/efforts-to-get-food-out-of-the-waste-stream-finding-more-support/
Climate change bills face the ticking legislative clock, again
Complex measures aimed at tackling environmental issues still await final passage with just days to go in the legislative session.
https://ctmirror.org/2022/04/26/climate-change-bills-face-the-ticking-legislative-clock-again/
Observing Earth Day in the era of climate crisis
Some two generations since the first Earth Day, five Connecticut environmentalists reflect on its legacy and what it means for the future.
CT plans a green hydrogen path, but it has potholes
Green hydrogen is considered carbon-free from start to finish, but the technology is expensive, and the product is hard to transport and use.
https://ctmirror.org/2022/04/13/ct-plans-a-green-hydrogen-path-but-it-has-potholes/
Climate change and transportation legislation is back, without the TCI part
Senate Bill 4, a comprehensive climate and transportation bill, would start several large clean transportation programs.