The bulk of New England states, including Connecticut, have significant zero carbon energy goals to be achieved in the next 15 to 25 years. Massachusetts and Rhode Island made progress toward those goals last year, but Connecticut was more cautious, citing concerns about the cost impacts of future investments in clean energy. Is Connecticut’s new-found […]
Get Instant Access to This Article
Subscribe to Hartford Business Journal and get immediate access to all of our subscriber-only content and much more.
- Critical Hartford and Connecticut business news updated daily.
- Immediate access to all subscriber-only content on our website.
- Bi-weekly print or digital editions of our award-winning publication.
- Special bonus issues like the Hartford Book of Lists.
- Exclusive ticket prize draws for our in-person events.
Click here to purchase a paywall bypass link for this article.
The bulk of New England states, including Connecticut, have significant zero carbon energy goals to be achieved in the next 15 to 25 years.
Massachusetts and Rhode Island made progress toward those goals last year, but Connecticut was more cautious, citing concerns about the cost impacts of future investments in clean energy.
Is Connecticut’s new-found reticence for zero carbon energy a long-term trend, or is it merely a speed bump on the renewable energy highway?
The answer may very well be both.
Because Connecticut was a leader in moving the state to a zero-carbon future, it may have felt some of the costs more quickly than its neighbors. Ultimately, however, Connecticut may be taking a more holistic approach to energy planning that will get it back on track.
If New England is going to achieve its zero-carbon future, it will need to double its electricity production in the next 30 years to power not only homes and businesses, but also vehicles, building heating systems, and now data centers to meet the accelerating demands of the AI industry.
One data center can consume hundreds of megawatts of electricity, and, as previously reported, these data centers can face stiff opposition from neighborhood groups and regulatory officials alike. Still, AI is the future, and Connecticut needs to be prepared to power these large facilities to be part of that future.
Balancing act
Connecticut originally planned on developing additional zero-carbon resources, notably energy storage projects (batteries) and offshore wind projects, but both efforts have stalled.
Although there are a few energy storage projects that have been approved, and a few more that are seeking approval, these projects fall far short of the 1,000-megawatt goal that Connecticut was to achieve by 2030.
Part of this is due to the fact that Connecticut’s long-awaited energy storage RFP decision still sits in limbo, prompting developers and energy policy advocates alike to wonder when such a decision will happen.
Connecticut also abstained from selecting any offshore wind resources in a three-state RFP that included Massachusetts and Rhode Island. While Massachusetts and Rhode Island selected thousands of megawatts of wind energy, Connecticut is still considering what it will do.
Gov. Ned Lamont has recognized the need to balance electricity costs with a zero-carbon future, and is weighing his options as to how to manage that balance.
Federal impact
While the balance is considered, there are new clouds on the horizon for developers of clean-energy systems. When Donald Trump takes office in January, he is likely to target zero-carbon initiatives and subsidies, such as those found in the Inflation Reduction Act.
Because those subsidies benefit red and blue states alike, the Trump administration may find significant opposition to such rollbacks, but the rollbacks are a distinct possibility. Even if they do not occur, it is a near certainty that Trump will not be promoting new green initiatives during his second term.
Gov. Lamont has correctly noted that by ensuring a certain rate of revenue for the Millstone nuclear power plant, Connecticut has guaranteed the continuation of the largest single source of zero-carbon energy not just for Connecticut, but for all of New England.
He is looking to other states, primarily Massachusetts, to provide a share of the payment stream to Millstone in exchange for Connecticut’s participation in the offshore wind RFP. This is a solid first step that should bear fruit.
Massachusetts has as much to lose as Connecticut if Connecticut ceases to be a leader in zero-carbon resources. It should therefore be willing to share the burden of such choices.
Although it may not seem like it, offshore wind is the easy part of the equation. Energy storage, the siting of new solar projects, and the development of such new technologies as state-of-the-art waste-to-energy plants and modular nuclear reactors will be more challenging.
It will require policy advocates, developers, regulators and utilities to all work in a coordinated fashion to provide real solutions. This has not been Connecticut’s recent experience.
However, with groundwork laid by a successful (if delayed) wind procurement, Connecticut may have a path to get back on track for its zero-carbon future.
Lee D. Hoffman is an energy and environmental lawyer and chair of law firm Pullman & Comley LLC.
