Minority- and women-owned small businesses in Hartford and other major Connecticut communities will receive up to $1,000 to offset their energy costs thanks to two large donations made Tuesday from two power companies.
Dominion, the Richmond, Va., owner of the Millstone nuclear power plant in Waterford, donated $1 million to Operation Fuel Inc. to provide energy grants and conservation training in Connecticut.
Meanwhile, the Public Service Enterprise Group, which operates power plants in Bridgeport and New Haven, donated another $150,000 to the cause.
“It’s been a long, cold winter in Connecticut, and I know this is welcome news to the minority and women small business owners across the state,” Gov. Dan Malloy, who was at Tuesday’s announcement in Hartford, said in a statement.
The Operation Fuel program providers for 1,200 small business owned by minorities or women to apply for grants up to $1,000 to pay only their electricity costs.
The businesses also can enroll in conservation training to become more energy efficient. For this first year, the program will be conducted in Hartford, Bridgeport, New London, New Haven, and Waterbury.
“Operation Fuel’s new program is unique and dynamic,” said Dominion executive Robert Blue. “Small businesses such as those they will be assisting play a vital role in the communities in which they operate, creating jobs and making many of their purchases locally. Helping the owners succeed is good for them, their customers and their neighbors.”
Operations Fuel is a 34-year-old nonprofit that provides and advocates for fuel assistance for Connecticut businesses and residents.
