Jan Ellen Spiegel
s Connecticut races to get its first offshore wind projects on track for construction, a collision of factors appear to be working against them.
To start with, the timing couldn’t be worse.
The state and its offshore-wind-loving neighbors all face a year-end expiration of a federal tax credit that helps finance these projects – the first major attempts in the U.S. But in Connecticut some problems – including at least one self-inflicted one – could mean forgoing that money.
Most critical are two issues. The first is the controversy at the Connecticut Port Authority (CPA), which has placed the quasi-public agency under audit and so far sent three people to the exits. The CPA runs the state-owned Pier in New London – now angling to be the premier staging area for offshore wind construction in the state, if not the region.
Earlier this month, BOEM delayed approval of the environmental impact statement (EIS) for the Massachusetts-backed 800-megawatt project by Vineyard Wind, slated to be the first major grid-based offshore wind project in the U.S.
The new environmental impact statement, which could take well into 2020 to complete, is supposed to look at the cumulative impact of the many offshore wind projects now being planned off the east coast – some of which involve Connecticut. But there are no details of the study beyond that and it’s unclear whether the study would be specific to the Vineyard Wind project or if it constitutes a change in the Trump administration’s previously stated commitment to offshore wind.
“How do we interpret this?” asked Francis Pullaro, executive director of RENEW Northeast, an advocacy group for the renewable energy industry and environmental community in New England and New York. “Is the Department of Interior using the process to foot drag and doing everything it can to be an impediment to the process? Or do we take them at their word? Can they easily make a case they have legitimate issues there? Or is there some other motivation unknown to the rest of us?”
“I am concerned that the fact that BOEM didn’t include these big projects has given them an opening to slow down all projects,” she said. “The Vineyard Wind federal process is really a bellwether to see if the federal government will follow through on its promise for offshore wind.”
President Trump, himself, has had a fraught relationship with the wind turbines located near his Scottish resort, even falsely accusing such turbines of causing cancer. Although his first interior secretary, Ryan Zinke, supported offshore wind, it’s unclear where Zinke’s replacement – David Bernhardt, a former oil and coal lobbyist, stands.
Trump has also pushed for oil and gas drilling off the east coast, which is opposed by just about every state on the eastern seaboard. And many see a double standard potentially at work as the Trump administration cuts regulations governing fossil fuel extraction while coming down hard on offshore wind.
“Cue the thunder,” she said. “I actually don’t see this as the doomsday prediction for the industry that some do.”
Neither does Laura Morton, senior director of policy and regulatory affairs for offshore wind at the American Wind Energy Association, where Sopko used to work. “The big question is regulatory certainty,” she said. “I do believe BOEM is trying to be justifiably balanced.”
One part of that balancing act involves the fishing industry, which seems to have driven the delay after the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), a division of NOAA, refused to sign off on the Vineyard Wind environmental impact statement. Indeed, the fishing industry is among the few cheering the government’s protracted analysis of the plan.
“Fishing gear certainly does not want to interact with these cables,” he said.
Connecticut believes it is already addressing issues like these and others that could affect fishermen. Just before the Vineyard Wind delay and the CPA matter began unspooling, the state fielded a commission to rapidly pull together environmental considerations for offshore wind, especially those related to the fishing industry. They were rushed to be included in an equally rushed request for proposals for a new round of offshore wind procurement by the state before the tax credit deadline.
The Department of Energy and Environmental Protection unveiled the RFP in mid-July for at least 400 megawatts of the 2,000-megawatt mandate for offshore wind approved by the legislature this past session.
Hackett pointed to a section that specifically says eligible bidders must submit an adaptive plan “to avoid, minimize, and mitigate risks to Stakeholders,” specifically mentioning “risk to commercial fisheries, risk to marine mammals and sea turtles with specific reference of underwater sound and collision, risk to birds and bats, and risk to other species.”
All of this, however, is complicated by the problems at the Connecticut Port Authority, which have the potential to threaten the state’s goal of long-term economic development related to the on-shore components of offshore wind, as well as its obvious benefits of transitioning to renewable power to limit the carbon emissions that are the biggest contributors to climate change worldwide.
While work on the New London port redevelopment plans is continuing, some privately concede that the port authority upheaval is an unnecessary distraction.
Formica is also well-aware of the danger that the current problems could chase away future investments like the kind committed by Orsted and Eversource. “We can’t let that happen,” he said. “We can’t let another opportunity slip through the cracks.”
For its part, Eversource said progress toward finalizing the redevelopment contract is on track.
“We haven’t seen any slowdowns in what we’re trying to accomplish,” said Michael Ausere, vice president of business development. “We’re very confident in the Lamont administration and leadership changes bringing this about. We have seen unwavering commitment.”
While his review is still in its early stages, he offered a definitive “no,” when asked if he has uncovered anything that would be detrimental to the offshore wind effort.
“The most concerning thing that we’ve found are around bookkeeping and reporting,” he said, such as incomplete filings.
As for wholesale fraud? “I can’t say definitively because we’re pretty early in the review, but I don’t think that’s what we’re dealing with here.”
Kooris has also been in regular conversations with Vineyard Wind – which has its eye on developing a base in Bridgeport. Discussions with the private entities that operate that port have been occurring for nearly a year – none of which is seen as taking anything from New London.
Rather, those efforts are widely viewed as a way to enhance the state’s commitment to offshore wind, potentially making it more desirable for the largest parts of any future supply chain.
“That’s the real home run,” Kooris said. “I think we’re a way off from a lot of the manufacturing shifting over to this side of the Atlantic, but if and when they do, they’re going to want to co-locate near the big players. That’s the big endgame.”
CT DOT disputes report on highway spending
Christine Stuart
A Libertarian think tank said Connecticut spends more per mile on its highways than the average state and ranked it 44th in the nation for “overall cost-effectiveness and condition” of its highway system. Department of Transportation officials say the report is “flawed.”
The Reason Foundation, as part of its 24th annual report on federal and state highway conditions found that Connecticut spent $209,157 per lane mile of road, compared to an average of $71,117. The categories included in the total cost calculation include capital and bridge, maintenance, administrative disbursements, highway law enforcement and safety, interest, and bond retirement.
On spending, Connecticut ranks 46th in total spending per mile, 47th in capital and bridge costs per mile, and 50th in administrative cost per mile. The administrative cost per lane mile in Connecticut was $35,028 per mile, while the average is $4,501.
The administrative costs in Connecticut include the pension costs, which come out of the Special Transportation Fund and have increased over recent years because of the state’s unfunded pension liability.
It’s little consolation, but according to the report — which uses 2016 data — New York, Massachusetts, Florida, and New Jersey all spent more per mile than Connecticut.In safety and performance categories, Connecticut ranks 11th lowest overall fatality rate, 24th in structurally deficient bridges (with 1st place being the state with the fewest structurally deficient bridges), and 30th in traffic congestion.
“To make larger advances in the rankings, Connecticut needs to reduce traffic congestion and get more out of its spending by improving pavement condition on rural highways and arterials or reduce its per-mile costs,” Baruch Feigenbaum, lead author of the report, said. “Connecticut has a small highway system, but ranks in the bottom five in three of the spending per mile categories (total spending per mile, capital and bridge costs per mile, and administrative costs per mile).”
The state Department of Transportation says the report does not take population density into account, which means many of the states with the highest rankings in the report are those with the least population. The average population density of the 10 states receiving the best rankings is 81 people per square mile. Connecticut has 738 people per square mile.
The methodology used by the Reason Foundation was recently changed to base the calculations on lane miles, versus road miles, however, DOT officials still say the data is flawed because it doesn’t account for how many bridges or tunnels there are, how much usage the road gets, and whether the road is an expressway or country road.
Why does it matter?Population density means more traffic and greater wear and tear; more traffic means roads have to be built to a higher standard and that construction has to accommodate and work around traffic patterns, Department of Transportation officials wrote in a statement.
The study could rekindle the fight over electronic highway tolls.
Max Reiss, Gov. Ned Lamont’s communications director, said that even if the report is flawed it still suggests the need to improve Connecticut’s transportation infrastructure.“Governor Ned Lamont is committed to improving Connecticut’s infrastructure. That is why he is encouraging the General Assembly to approve a bond package that addresses this issue, which is critical to the state’s economic future,” Reiss said Friday. “Connecticut can’t get its economy moving if our workforce is stranded in traffic or sitting idly on a stuck train or a broken down bus. This most recent study is again further proof that Connecticut has to act now to make investments that will pay off in the future. Gov. Lamont’s administration is exploring the right ways to do that that minimize the impact on our residents.”
Organizers of No Tolls CT said the report is just more proof that Connecticut’s costs are out of control and there’s no need for tolls.
However, Feignbaum, who authored the report, told the Courant that it suggests Connecticut should add both tolls and lanes to I-95 and consider public-private partnerships for transportation.
Torrington Franklin Street redevelopment ready to launch
John Torsiello
While Sept. 3 may be a day like any other, for Torrington residents, it will be the start of something new and potentially big when it comes to the revitalization of the city’s struggling downtown business, dining and entertainment district.
It is the day when Franklin Street will be closed off to vehicular traffic from Main Street and tiny Volkman Lane to allow construction to begin on the “Franklin Plaza Project,” an ambitious $2 million effort that will change the physical appearance, as well as the social and financial future of downtown.
Mayor Elinor Carbone and several other city officials gathered in the Mayor’s Office Monday afternoon to announce the launching of the project. The project will create a “civic space” that is aiming to lure residents and others to the area and enhance the prospects of existing and potential future businesses in the immediate area and beyond.
“We do see this as a draw,” said Carbone,” to what has been a neglected area of the city and to downtown. It will be a meeting spot for the community that we hope will attract small events, such as pop up art exhibits, and bring in food trucks and vendors. There may even be a skating rink there during the winter months.”
PLAINVILLE - The state Department of Transportation, now in the surveying and design phase of extending the Farmington Canal Heritage Trail through Plainville, has provided a timetable for three phases of construction.
The town has been working with the DOT and a steering committee for several years to determine how best to create the bike path through town.
This will finish connecting it to the rest of the 81.2-mile trail, which goes through Connecticut and Massachusetts.
Recently, Town Manager Robert E. Lee said, officials from the DOT provided the Town Council a PowerPoint presentation that can be viewed at plainvillect.com. The presentation gave the council an update on the current status of the project and future plans.
“The Department of Transportation started on the design phase in January,” said Lee. “They have now split the project into three phases. The first goes from Norton Park to Southington, the second from Northwest Drive to the Pequabuck River area and the third is in between those two areas, around downtown. Right now, they are in the middle of survey work for phase one, which is expected to be completed in the Fall. Determining wetlands status will be going hand in hand with the design work. After they complete survey work for phase one they will move on to the other phases.”
The DOT told Lee and the Town Council that Phase 1 of construction is projected to begin in 2022, Phase 2 is planned for 2023 and Phase 3 is estimated to start in 2024.
“There will be public information sessions and meetings with the council as this continues to move forward,” said Lee. “The Department of Transportation wants to make sure that the council is happy with their planned designs and get feedback from them.”
Lee also said that the council is looking forward to seeing the specific designs when they are drawn up.
He said Jim Cassidy, of the Plainville Greenway Alliance, contacted many other bicycle enthusiasts to encourage them to attend the meeting.
Reid & Hughes developer facing water, ac problems with its new Killingly apartment project
Claire Bessette
Norwich -- The developer pursuing a $6 million renovation of the former Reid & Hughes building on Main Street in Norwich has spent the past six months attempting to correct persistent hot water and air conditioning deficiencies at a new affordable housing complex it built in Killingly.
The Women’s Institute for Housing and Economic Development built the Mill at Killingly, a 32-unit, $10.5 million state-financed apartment building on the site of the former Powdrell & Alexander Mill in Danielson. The facility, a new building -- designed to echo the features of the former mill while retaining the historic mill stair tower – opened in February with a grand opening celebration.
But as more tenants moved in, hot water problems started, tenants and the Women’s Institute said. At times, only “ice cold” water came from the hot water taps. Temporary repairs restored service, only to have the problem reoccur. Then, as the weather heated up, the building’s central air conditioning system failed to keep up with increased demand. Tenants were allowed to bring in window units in July when temperatures reached the 90s.
“We are aware of the issues with the hot water and HVAC,” a notice posted Aug. 20 said. “Various contractors were at the property last week working on the mechanicals, and some of the adjustments may have caused other mechanical systems to go off balance. Contractors have been contacted to return to the property and readjust the system. Your continued understanding and patience is appreciated.”
But tenants are losing patience.
“What patience,” someone wrote on the Aug. 20 letter posted on an elevator. “We don’t understand! Joke House!”
One tenant, who asked not to be identified because she has a protective order in place, said tenants are losing patience. The woman, who has lived there with her 3-year-old son since it opened, said her son screamed when she tried to give him a sponge bath last weekend, because the water was so cold. For a week in April, she said, no water at all came from the faucets.
“My only concern is that, are they going to do this with the next project they do?” the woman said.
Loni Willey, chief operating officer and acting executive director of the Women’s Institute for Housing and Economic Development, said her agency is just as frustrated with the problems at the Mill at Killingly. The issues are with a hot water looping system and the HVAC system, both of which tested fine prior to the building’s opening in February.
“Unfortunately, as with operating systems, you don’t know how their working until there’s regular demand,” Willey said.
The building has a highly efficient hot water looping system with a single pump and tank system, Willey said. The Women’s Institute brought in an independent contractor to assess the problem and recommend permanent corrections. Corrections have been made and the hot water temperature “is back to what it should be,” Willey said. But the institute still is working on improvements, including installing a large hot water pump and an extra hot water tank.
The permanent improvements will take time, Willey said, and there is no cost estimate yet for the corrections. But the system is working now.
“It’s something we’re committed to doing,” Willey said. “It’s so disappointing, as you try to get families moved in and settled in their new homes. Both our construction team and our internal team are working on this.”
In Norwich, the Women’s Institute was selected by the city as the preferred developer for the long-vacant former Reid & Hughes building at 193-201 Main St., an agreement considered the last chance to save the decaying 19th-century building. The developer completed an initial $500,000 stabilization project to shore up the building while the Women’s Institute pursued financing for the $6 million renovation project.
Willey said the institute expects to announce an update on the status of Reid & Hughes project this fall. Applications for major financing have been submitted to financing entities and the institute is awaiting responses. The $6 million project calls for 20 affordable housing apartments, some reserved for formerly homeless veterans, and commercial storefront spaces on Main Street.
“The financing for a project like this is a marathon not a sprint,” Willey said of Reid & Hughes. “We have financing applications in. The frustrating part of this work is, it takes time. We should know better in the next month what the timeline looks like.”
This will finish connecting it to the rest of the 81.2-mile trail, which goes through Connecticut and Massachusetts.
Recently, Town Manager Robert E. Lee said, officials from the DOT provided the Town Council a PowerPoint presentation that can be viewed at plainvillect.com. The presentation gave the council an update on the current status of the project and future plans.
“The Department of Transportation started on the design phase in January,” said Lee. “They have now split the project into three phases. The first goes from Norton Park to Southington, the second from Northwest Drive to the Pequabuck River area and the third is in between those two areas, around downtown. Right now, they are in the middle of survey work for phase one, which is expected to be completed in the Fall. Determining wetlands status will be going hand in hand with the design work. After they complete survey work for phase one they will move on to the other phases.”
The DOT told Lee and the Town Council that Phase 1 of construction is projected to begin in 2022, Phase 2 is planned for 2023 and Phase 3 is estimated to start in 2024.
“There will be public information sessions and meetings with the council as this continues to move forward,” said Lee. “The Department of Transportation wants to make sure that the council is happy with their planned designs and get feedback from them.”
Lee also said that the council is looking forward to seeing the specific designs when they are drawn up.
He said Jim Cassidy, of the Plainville Greenway Alliance, contacted many other bicycle enthusiasts to encourage them to attend the meeting.
Reid & Hughes developer facing water, ac problems with its new Killingly apartment project
Claire Bessette
Norwich -- The developer pursuing a $6 million renovation of the former Reid & Hughes building on Main Street in Norwich has spent the past six months attempting to correct persistent hot water and air conditioning deficiencies at a new affordable housing complex it built in Killingly.
The Women’s Institute for Housing and Economic Development built the Mill at Killingly, a 32-unit, $10.5 million state-financed apartment building on the site of the former Powdrell & Alexander Mill in Danielson. The facility, a new building -- designed to echo the features of the former mill while retaining the historic mill stair tower – opened in February with a grand opening celebration.
But as more tenants moved in, hot water problems started, tenants and the Women’s Institute said. At times, only “ice cold” water came from the hot water taps. Temporary repairs restored service, only to have the problem reoccur. Then, as the weather heated up, the building’s central air conditioning system failed to keep up with increased demand. Tenants were allowed to bring in window units in July when temperatures reached the 90s.
“We are aware of the issues with the hot water and HVAC,” a notice posted Aug. 20 said. “Various contractors were at the property last week working on the mechanicals, and some of the adjustments may have caused other mechanical systems to go off balance. Contractors have been contacted to return to the property and readjust the system. Your continued understanding and patience is appreciated.”
But tenants are losing patience.
“What patience,” someone wrote on the Aug. 20 letter posted on an elevator. “We don’t understand! Joke House!”
One tenant, who asked not to be identified because she has a protective order in place, said tenants are losing patience. The woman, who has lived there with her 3-year-old son since it opened, said her son screamed when she tried to give him a sponge bath last weekend, because the water was so cold. For a week in April, she said, no water at all came from the faucets.
“My only concern is that, are they going to do this with the next project they do?” the woman said.
Loni Willey, chief operating officer and acting executive director of the Women’s Institute for Housing and Economic Development, said her agency is just as frustrated with the problems at the Mill at Killingly. The issues are with a hot water looping system and the HVAC system, both of which tested fine prior to the building’s opening in February.
“Unfortunately, as with operating systems, you don’t know how their working until there’s regular demand,” Willey said.
The building has a highly efficient hot water looping system with a single pump and tank system, Willey said. The Women’s Institute brought in an independent contractor to assess the problem and recommend permanent corrections. Corrections have been made and the hot water temperature “is back to what it should be,” Willey said. But the institute still is working on improvements, including installing a large hot water pump and an extra hot water tank.
The permanent improvements will take time, Willey said, and there is no cost estimate yet for the corrections. But the system is working now.
“It’s something we’re committed to doing,” Willey said. “It’s so disappointing, as you try to get families moved in and settled in their new homes. Both our construction team and our internal team are working on this.”
In Norwich, the Women’s Institute was selected by the city as the preferred developer for the long-vacant former Reid & Hughes building at 193-201 Main St., an agreement considered the last chance to save the decaying 19th-century building. The developer completed an initial $500,000 stabilization project to shore up the building while the Women’s Institute pursued financing for the $6 million renovation project.
Willey said the institute expects to announce an update on the status of Reid & Hughes project this fall. Applications for major financing have been submitted to financing entities and the institute is awaiting responses. The $6 million project calls for 20 affordable housing apartments, some reserved for formerly homeless veterans, and commercial storefront spaces on Main Street.
“The financing for a project like this is a marathon not a sprint,” Willey said of Reid & Hughes. “We have financing applications in. The frustrating part of this work is, it takes time. We should know better in the next month what the timeline looks like.”