The Register Citizen (Torrington, CT)
Malloy pushes climate change initiatives
HARTFORD — Gov. Dannel P. Malloy on Monday pushed a series of climate change initiatives to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, increase residential solar arrays and combat the impact of rising sea levels.
But not all environmentalist and business leaders agree with the governor’s proposals, some of which they say benefit power companies, hurt consumers and restrict coastal development.
“Climate change is real, it’s manmade, and it’s here,” Malloy said during a noon news conference.
“We see the effects everywhere: unprecedented drought and wildfires in Western states, global temperatures increasing every year, and more powerful and unpredictable storms than we have ever encountered,” Malloy said.
Malloy’s proposals — contained in two bills before the General Assembly — would reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 45 percent by 2030 and change coastal development boundaries in response to a projected future 2-foot rise in sea levels.
The bills also seek to increase the amount of renewable energy to be produced in the state, change how residential electric customers save money from solar energy and increase the amount of renewable energy to be deployed in the state.
Robert Klee, commissioner of the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, said the bills offer needed protections from future climate change.
“We witness those impacts firsthand in the roads that once did not flood, but that now flood frequently; the warming of the Long
Island Sound and the slow but steady shift from a New England fishery to a MidAtlantic fishery; to the changes in our fall foliage season and wildlife habitats,” Klee said.
Limit choice
Louis Burch, program director for the Connecticut Fund for the Environment, said changes to the Virtual Net Metering system for reimbursing solar customers would negate electricity offsets and other benefits and eliminate the incentive for homeowners and businesses to install solar arrays.
The net metering system provides a homeowner or business a credit on their electric bill for the solar power produced by their system.
Malloy seeks to replace
that residential credit with a fixed roof rate and a competitive auction process for long-term contracts for large producers.
Burch said the proposed system will “keep energy costs high, limit customer choice and create a significant impediment to the development of a cleaner, more efficient energy grid in our state.”
Claire Coleman, climate and energy attorney for the Connecticut Fund for the Environment, said Malloy’s proposals are restricting development of community solar arrays and other investments, pointing out the state lags behind Rhode Island and Massachusetts in energy efficiency investments.
“Vote Solar recently released a report showing that a 200 megawatt share solar program would deliver more than 2,500 new
jobs, $370 million in local economic benefits and $80 million in property taxes,” Coleman said.
The state has restricted community solar — projects that can power thousands of homes from a single mega array — to six megawatts of power.
Malloy acknowledged there “has been resistance” to using solar in Connecticut because of costs and said other states have been less sensitive to pricing.
Moving coastal boundaries
Eric Brown, a senior counsel for the Connecticut Business and Industry Association, objected to altering the definition of sea level change, noting it will impact coastal development.
“CBIA opposes all sections and provisions within this bill that go beyond planning and resiliency,” Brown said.
“Several sections are designed to push future policymakers to put concerns about climate change in a superior priority position relative to other considerations that effect Connecticut’s economy and electric ratepayers,” Brown said.
Betsy Gara, executive director of Connecticut Council of Small Towns, also worried about the impact on coastal development.
“This change would move the boundary further inland, which will cause more property to fall under the Coastal Management Act,” Gara said.
“(The bill) requires changes to the municipal coastal boundary to be submitted to the (DEEP) commissioner for review and approval,” Gara said. “We don’t believe DEEP should have any role in approving or disapproving local zoning regulations.”