Last coal plant in CT goes offline
Zachary Vasile
Connecticut’s last remaining coal-fired power plant has been decommissioned.
In a statement, PSEG Power announced that it retired its Bridgeport Harbor Station Unit 3 plant on Monday, ending the station’s 53-year run.
"For PSEG, the retirement of BHS 3 marks the end of our company's coal era, reflecting a nationwide trend toward the use of cleaner fuels to generate the electricity we need to power our lives," said PSEG Chairman, President and CEO Ralph Izzo.
PSEG had been working toward closing the plant since 2016, when officials announced plans to invest in natural gas assets at the site. In June 2019, the company debuted Bridgeport Harbor Station Unit 5, a 485-megawatt plant running on natural gas, and set a deadline of shutting down BHS 3 by mid-2021.
The move dovetails with a push for a generally cleaner energy mix in Connecticut driven by Gov. Ned Lamont — who has called for 100% carbon-free power by 2040 — and energy suppliers, who are facing new regulations and heightened concerns about the long-term economic toll of fossil fuel-driven climate change.
The state’s last coal plant first came online in 1968, when the Bridgeport Harbor Station complex was under the ownership of United Illuminating Co. It was originally designed to burn either oil or coal but was converted to coal exclusively in 2002.
With a capacity of 400 megawatts, it operated only during times of peak energy demand, and was called upon to provide power during Hurricane Sandy in 2012, the so-called “polar vortex” of 2014 and a cold snap lasting through January and February of this year.
Biden, GOP senator to meet as infrastructure deadline looms
Lisa Mascaro AP Congressional Correspondent
WASHINGTON (AP) — Deadline looming, President Joe Biden is
set to meet with the top Senate Republican negotiator on infrastructure as the
administration signals time is running out to strike a bipartisan deal on the
White House's big investment proposal and top legislative priority.
The president is looking forward to hosting West Virginia
GOP Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, the White House said ahead of the Wednesday
afternoon session. The two will continue bipartisan negotiations. The
administration's deadline for a deal is now June. 7.
Privately, however, the president has sized up the GOP's
latest $928 billion offer as unworkable, in large part because it taps unused
COVID-19 funds to pay for it. Publicly the administration is making it clear it
views next week as a make-or-break moment for the president's push toward a
deal with Republicans.
“He’s appreciative and heartened by the good faith effort
that we’ve seen from Republican senators but as the president said last week we
do need to finish these negotiations soon," White House deputy press
secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters Tuesday traveling with the
president on Air Force One to Tulsa, Oklahoma, where he is scheduled to deliver
remarks to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Tulsa Race Massacre.
Together, the president and the Republicans both have
political incentives to negotiate a bipartisan accord over his sweeping
investment package, even if no deal is within sight. For Biden, reaching across
the aisle and cutting deals in Congress is central to his brand of politics.
Republicans can also score political gains by trying to work with a popular
president.
Yet an initial Memorial Day deadline came and went without
results and in the latest round of talks, Biden and a core group of GOP
senators appear to have pulled farther apart. Democrats, who hold slim
majorities in the House and Senate, are watching warily as the White House and
Republicans try to narrow the gap between the president's initial ideas for a
massive investment in not just roads and bridges but the “human” infrastructure
of hospitals and child and senior care facilities, and a GOP approach that is
more focused approach on traditional infrastructure projects.
The White House has pared back the president’s initial $2.3
trillion bid, now tallied at $1.7 trillion, with Biden proposing to fund the
investment by raising the corporate tax rate, from 21% to 28%.
Biden's own thinking is that the Republican proposal, while
improved from an earlier $568 billion opening bid, is unworkable because the
Republicans want to tap unspent COVID-19 funds to pay for the spending,
according to a White House official granted anonymity to discuss the private
deliberations.
The president, in meetings with his team, has zeroed in on
the questions the GOP proposal raises — namely, which coronavirus relief funds
to possibly shelve. Biden’s view is that tapping the COVID funds would unduly
burden the middle class, including small business owners, who are receiving the
virus aid during the pandemic crisis.
For Republicans, the corporate tax hikes are a red line they
will not cross, and instead want to pay for the infrastructure investment with
virus aid money as well as typical gas taxes and other fees on consumers.
“I think we can get to real compromise, absolutely, because we’re both still in the game,” Capito said over the weekend. “I think the president told me himself that let’s get this done.”
Congress is away for a weeklong Memorial Day break, but
faces a deadline when lawmakers return next week.
Without a bipartisan agreement, Biden will be faced with
trying to muscle support from Democrats alone. That approach also poses
political challenges in the narrowly divided House and Senate where the
administration has few votes to spare if the president tries to push the
package to passage under budget rules that allow for a majority vote.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said Sunday that by
the time Congress resumes, June 7, "we need a clear direction.”
The White House said the president is also eyeing action in
the House that week when the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee is set
to begin debating a big highway reauthorization bill that is being closely
watched as a potential building block toward the broader package.
Jean-Pierre noted the panel's June 9 hearing as “a relevant
date in terms of the overall time frame."
That week, she said, "will be incredibly critical.”
A similar bipartisan highway bill is underway in the Senate
and those bills, along with others being negotiated over water resources and
other public works could make up the foundations for a broader package.
By Carrier, city officials looking forward to further development of downtown properties
Dean Wright
BRISTOL – By Carrier and city officials say they are looking forward to the further development of downtown properties as one apartment building has finished construction at Residences on Main and other projects to follow soon.
“It’s going to be a move in the right direction,” said By Carrier Developer and Co-owner Ryan Carrier of ongoing downtown development efforts. “I think it’s going to spark a lot in Bristol. That lot has been vacant (for several years). It’s going to be nice to see some more buildings open up over there. I think people are going to start looking at Bristol in a more positive way because right now there’s talk that this lot has been sitting there and nothing’s happening and so many empty promises. I think that the Carriers are finally going to fulfill that promise.”
By Carrier, a local development company signed a letter of intent to the city in March for four parcels to create residential and commercial spaces in Centre Square. This is in effort to increase foot traffic and overall business health to the area.
“We’ve still got a lot of design and planning that’s got to happen,” said Carrier. “We’re still meeting with public works… I would say maybe the end of next year or the beginning of the following year that would be best case scenario (to begin construction in Center Square parcels).”
Carrier said project completion would be dependent upon cost of materials and ongoing development processes moving as planned.
“Any projects we have, we’re going to complete but we don’t want to start anything new until construction costs normalize a little bit,” said Carrier. “We’re lucky we started in March of last year with (Residences on Main) otherwise it could have cost much, much more.”
By Carrier’s Residences on Main has targeted July 1 as a completion date for its second building. Some exterior landscaping will still be in the works. The first building saw families moving into the facility in February. When everything is done, 32 units will provide space for families.
In March of last year, By Carrier demolished the previous structure where Residences on Main now sits and started framing the first structure in June 2020.
An estimated 90 apartment units are anticipated to be constructed on the Center Square parcels with roughly 15,000 square feet of retail space.
“There are Bristol ties with Carrier,” said Bristol Economic Development Director Justin Malley. “From a community perspective, most folks know the Carrier name and associate that with quality and a name that can be trusted. It’s always important on the local development side to work with good partners and have that trust.”
Bristol Mayor Ellen Zoppo-Sassu said that “For people who had any level of skepticism about what was going to be happening downtown, especially after 50 years of tumultuous downtown development dating back to urban renewal in the 60s, we really needed to have credible people come to the table to do projects downtown and Carrier fits that bill.”
The mayor and economic development director said that combined with the recent announcement of Wheeler Clinic moving its headquarters to the downtown area in Centre Square, increased foot traffic driven by new businesses and residents would serve downtown’s economic health well.
Offshore wind partners ink deal for use of turbine installation vessel in New London
Greg Smith
Offshore wind partners Ørsted and Eversource announced on Tuesday they had reached a deal with Dominion Energy for use of a first-of-its-kind wind turbine installation vessel in New London during construction of two planned offshore wind farms in the Northeast.
The Charybdis will be the nation’s first Jones Act-qualified vessel for use by the offshore wind industry. The Merchant Marine Act of 1920, known widely as the Jones Act, is a federal statute that requires all vessels shipping goods between two U.S. ports be American-built, owned and flagged.
The $500 million, 472-foot-long vessel is being constructed in Brownsville, Texas, and is expected to appear on New London’s waterfront by the end of 2023 to start work on transportation and installation of turbines in conjunction with Ørsted and Eversource’s Revolution Wind and Sunrise Wind projects. Revolution Wind is a planned 704-megawatt wind farm 15 miles off the Rhode Island coast expected to provide 304 megawatts to Connecticut. Sunrise Wind is a proposed 880 MW wind farm under development in New York.
Ørsted and Eversource have joined with the state and Connecticut Port Authority to fund the $235 million overhaul of State Pier for use as a staging area for work on the wind farms.
Eversource President and Chief Executive Officer Joe Nolan, in an interview with The Day, called Charybdis a major milestone that will help speed construction of the wind farms. The vessel can transport and install up to six wind turbines — with an estimated diameter of 726 feet each — to the lease areas. The alternative is use of smaller U.S.-built feeder barges to move the turbines to European installation vessels.
The Charybdis, which is 184 feet wide, will feature a crane with capacity for 2,200 tons and boom length of 426 feet.
Charybdis will operate as part of Dominion Energy’s contracted assets and once completed will be homeported in Hampton Roads, Va. After working with Ørsted and Eversource, the vessel will be used to support Dominion Energy’s Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind project, which is located off the coast of Virginia Beach and expected to be completed in 2026. The farm will feature an estimated 188 turbines and produce 2.6 gigawatts when completed.
Nolan said New London and Virginia are some of the few places where vessels as large as Charybdis can operate, since most ports have obstacles like bridges and hurricane barriers. New London does not.
“New London looks forward to the arrival of the country’s first offshore wind installation vessel to our historic, deep water port,” New London Mayor Michael Passero said in a statement. “This major green energy milestone means local jobs and community investment in our maritime economy, as New London redevelops its port facility and emerges as a premier offshore wind hub for the Northeast.”
Charybdis is being built at the global marine shipbuilder firm Keppel AmFELS’s shipyard using domestically sourced steel. At peak construction, 1,000 U.S. workers will be employed on this project. The vessel is designed to handle current turbine technologies as well as next-generation turbine sizes of 12 megawatts or larger. It also will be capable of the installation of foundations for turbines. Revolution Wind and Sunrise Wind turbine sizes are still to be determined but in their permitting applications, Revolution Wind calls for up to 12 megawatts and Sunrise Wind calls for up to 15 megawatts.
“Offshore wind is critical to America’s clean-energy future and the Charybdis plays a vital role in reaching the Biden Administration’s ambitious goal of 30 gigawatts of offshore wind production by 2030,” Bob Blue, Dominion Energy’s chair, president and chief executive officer, said in a statement. “We look forward to working with Ørsted and Eversource on the construction of Revolution Wind and Sunrise Wind to continue to grow the offshore wind industry in the U.S.”
“A Jones Act-qualified installation vessel is a game-changer for the development of the U.S. offshore wind industry,” said David Hardy, chief executive officer of Ørsted Offshore North America. “This investment will enable us to unlock the economic benefits of offshore wind, not just for the Northeast, but for the Southern states, as well. We’re proud to partner with Dominion Energy and Eversource on this historic milestone.”
Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, Connecticut's U.S. Sens. Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy, and U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney, D-2nd District, all applauded the news.
“We are excited about the transformation of State Pier into a state-of-the-art facility and the arrival of Dominion's historic vessel in Connecticut to support Ørsted and Eversource’s offshore wind project work, which includes bringing the state its first offshore wind farm in Revolution Wind,” Lamont said in a statement. “All of this activity assists in advancing our state’s clean energy economy and helps position New London as a hub for the industry, delivering jobs and economic development to the city and Connecticut overall.”
“The Biden Administration is prepared to make long-term investments to ensure America is a dominant and permanent force in the global clean energy economy, and eastern Connecticut has a major part to play for us to be successful,” Courtney said in a statement. “The uptick in offshore wind activity has already brought business and job opportunities to our communities, local suppliers, and other industries through federal grants and public and private investment, and today’s announcement is a signal of all the continued growth and opportunity on the horizon."
Firm outlines plans for two solar energy farms in Stonington
Joe Wojtas
Stonington — A solar energy company outlined its conceptual plans to construct solar energy farms on Jeremy Hill and Lantern Hill roads for the Planning and Zoning Commission on Tuesday.
The commission, though, would have no jurisdiction over the projects being proposed by Greenskies Clean Energy LLC, as review and approval is through the Connecticut Siting Council. Once Greenskies submits an application to the siting council, town officials and residents can submit written comments on the project and participate in any public hearings.
Tuesday's meeting also gave the commission a chance to ask questions and voice any initial concerns.
The property at 54 Jeremy Hill Road would involve 28 acres of a 62.5-acre site that is zoned rural residential for single-family homes on a minimum lot size of 80,000 square feet. According to a report by Town Planner Keith Brynes, the land previously was approved as a 20-lot subdivision but that approval has expired and the new owners purchased the property primarily as farmland. Some of the land has since been cleared.
Greenskies representatives told the commission that there are two homes about 250 to 300 feet away from the project that would be able to see the panels. The panels, however, will be elevated 20 to 50 feet above the houses. Geeenskies Project Manager Bonnie Potocki said additional screening would be provided if needed and she has reached out to the homeowners to discuss any concerns.
She added the plan is to keep using the land not containing solar panels for grazing sheep and other livestock.
Plans call for using 14 of the 71 acres at 229 Lantern Hill Road for solar panels. The land is located in the greenbelt residential zone, which requires a minimum lot size of 130,000 square feet to build a house. Brynes wrote that the land, located across from the entrance to Linda Lane, is mostly cleared agricultural field. The site is bordered to the west by Whitford Brook. The land is also directly adjacent to Aquarion Water property where wells are located, but Greenskies said the solar panel development would not be in the town's Aquifer Protection Area. Potocki said plans are to continue growing sweet corn on the remainder of the site.
Potocki said the exact number of panels on each site has not yet been determined. Commission member Charles Sheehan told Greenskies that he would prefer to see transmission lines that connect the panels to poles along the street instead be buried underground. Potocki said Greenskies has to work with Eversource on that decision.
Greenskies plans to submit both applications to the siting council within the next four to six weeks. The application process is expected to take about six months, with Greenskies hoping to begin construction next spring.
In February, the siting council approved a Greenskies plan to convert four holes at the Elmridge Golf Course in Pawcatuck into a solar energy facility. It is part of the courses plan to downsize its layout from 27 to 18 holes.
In late 2019, the siting council approved a plan by Greenskies to create a solar energy farm with 16,680 panels on 16.5 acres of an 87-acre piece of farmland off Taugwonk Spur Road.
State aid sought as Plymouth seeks new police station
Lance Reynolds
PLYMOUTH — Town officials are confident residents see the
need for a new police station.
The project’s building committee, however, is waiting to
learn how state funding will offset the town’s cost before attempting to pitch
it to taxpayers.
The current 2,600-square-foot police station in the Town
Hall basement would be replaced with a two-story, 16,750-square-foot building
on a 2.5-acre lot behind Town Hall where the skate park is located.
Committee members learned last week the project’s initial
$11 million cost has jumped to about $12.3 million due to the rising cost of
building materials, such as steel and lumber. About $9.3 million of that amount
would finance construction; the other $3 million for architectural costs.
Town taxpayers would vote on the project in a referendum.
Building committee Vice Chairman Michael Audette said before
the committee further develops and markets the project, it needs to know how
much the state’s share would be. That information should be released after
state officials set the state’s budget by June 9.
“We’re all anxious to see what the final price tag will be,”
Audette said. “That will help us determine where we go in terms of marketing
this and trying to sell it to the taxpayers. I think they realize the need is
there.”
Finance Director Ann Marie Rheault, who sits on the building
committee, said the town’s $1.1 million in federal COVID-relief funding can’t
be used to help finance the project. She said taking some funds from the town’s
$2.6 million debt service line item could be an option to offset the project’s
first interest payment.
Financing the project would occur at a time when the town
faces a $7.5 million state-mandated phosphorus upgrade at the water pollution
control facility on Canal Street. Preliminary costs for that project indicate a
state share of about 20%, or $1.4 million, via a Clean Water Fund Grant from
the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.
Rheault expressed concern about bonding both projects
simultaneously. The town’s total net debt service is $16.9 million.
“Unless we get some funding from the state for this project,
I think a lot of residents would have a hard time taking on both (projects),”
Rheault said. “You’d basically be doubling our debt from what we have right
now.”
The new police station’s upper level would have
administrative offices, interview rooms and training rooms. The lower level
would include evidence and armory storage, separated holding cells and be
compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act. The building also would
have secure and separate parking for police cruisers.
The current station lacks proper office space and evidence
storage; separate men’s and women’s locker rooms and bathrooms; additional
storage areas for officers’ equipment; separate adult and juvenile cells, and
is not ADA compliant.
Mayor David V. Merchant in a video tour of the current
station encouraged residents to contact his office to schedule an in-person
tour. Residents can access project information on the town website,
plymouthct.us/police-building-project.
“I hope that you’re able to see just how far out of
compliance our department is and how badly we need to replace this facility,”
Merchant said. “This is one of the most important projects that we have lined
up in town.”