A CT town appears to have dodged an enormous, unwanted battery farm. At least temporarily
With Colorado-based
Flatiron Energy withdrawing its widely unpopular
proposal for an enormous battery energy storage facility in New
Milford, town officials and environmentalists are relieved — for now.
Flatiron late last week told attorneys for the town that it
was no longer pursuing its plan for Treebeard, its
name for a 140-megawatt lithium-ion battery storage facility to be
built on 10 acres near the West Aspetuck River.
But the company still has an option on the land, and last
winter said it was also exploring other potential sites in New Milford. So far,
it has not advised the town on whether it’s leaving the area altogether,
seeking a nearby location instead, or simply postponing its campaign for the
original proposal.
“Since January the only communication they gave the town is
through their legal representation — their attorneys talking with the town
attorney,” Mayor Pete Bass said Tuesday. “They told us they’re not moving
forward on that property. We know that property is still under option, but we
haven’t heard more than that.”
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A message seeking comment from the company on Tuesday was
not answered.
But as of Tuesday afternoon, its website still described the proposal as
active with a project operations start date in mid-2028.
“Treebeard Storage is a battery energy storage system
currently in the early stages of development by Flatiron Energy in New
Milford,” it reads. “When completed, Treebeard Storage will store up to 560
megawatt-hours (MWh) of energy and provide reliable electricity to local homes
and businesses during peak demand. The facility is scheduled to commence
operations in Q3 2028.”
The company has said Treebeard would generate more than 40
construction jobs and provide more than $40 million in local tax revenue during
its lifetime. Flatiron has insisted that the battery farm would operate safely
while promoting clean energy and helping to shield power customers from
blackouts.
Public opposition has been strong since the proposal was
publicized last winter, and more
than 1,400 people have signed an online petition opposing the plan.
“This project is being proposed directly over our main New
Milford aquifer, in our aquifer protection area,” the petition states. “Peagler
Hill and Indian Fields well fields, owned by Aquarion Water Company, supply
water to roughly 12,000 New Milford customers.
“That system continues down Route 7 and interconnects into
the Brookfield system and beyond. Due to unforeseen circumstances surrounding
previously discovered harmful PFAS substances and low yields in certain parts
of town, the main system is being expanded to become the primary potable water
source for most of New Milford,” it said.
The proposal was for property near 2 Timothy Lane, an area
of woodlands near the West Aspetuck River. The New Milford Clean Water
Coalition opposed it, creating the petition on change.org and sponsoring the
New Milford Guardians Against Flatiron group.
Flatiron’s plan was typical of Battery Energy Storage
Systems nationwide: It would create a huge field of industrial storage
containers with batteries to store excess energy from power plants, solar
arrays or wind farms during times when demand is low. When demand peaks, the
units release energy to the power grid, improving the reliability of service.
But opponents argue that a fire at a lithium battery
facility could jeopardize firefighters and potentially become an environmental
disaster.
Because Flatiron’s plan would involve the region’s power
grid, decisions would be in the hands of the Connecticut Siting Council and the
Public Utilities Regulatory Authority.
Bass said New Milford will remain ready to oppose the
project if it’s revived. In addition to its proximity to the river, the
Treebeard facility was going to be in a residential zone. Bass said that
prospect wasn’t acceptable.
“We have let the parties and the public know we will defend
ourselves against anything that could be an environmental catastrophe,” he said
Tuesday. “Our legal team is prepared if we need it.”
State Sen. Stephen Harding credited Bass, other town
officials, New Milford’s legislative delegation and local community
groups that publicly opposed Treebeard.
“This is great news for New Milford. I was proud to stand
with the New Milford community in raising concerns about this proposed project,
and I’m very pleased to see this outcome,” Harding said in a statement.
CT agency develops 30-year transportation plan for state. It notes major ‘funding gap’ could emerge.
The state Department of Transportation has
goals over the next few decades to make the state’s roads safer, travel more
efficient, and more resilient to severe weather, according to a newly
released 30-year
transportation plan.
Connecticut
2055, the state’s long-term transportation plan, outlines several distinct
goals, including road safety, reducing congestion, and eliminating serious
injuries or fatalities, creating more connected communities through a
multimodal transportation network, implementing emerging technology into road
design, and creating resilient and sustainable infrastructure, according to the
DOT report.
“Connecticut 2055 is a forward-thinking plan that will drive
economic growth, connect our communities, and improve lives through an
integrated multimodal transportation system,” Connecticut Department of
Transportation Commissioner Garrett Eucalitto said, in a statement. “The final
plan reflects years of collaboration with residents, stakeholders, and partners
across the state, and positions Connecticut to meet the transportation needs of
today and opportunities of the future.”
While the report does not outline costs for specific
projects, it does offer “baseline scenario forecast findings” projected through
2055, and notes, the “anticipated level of state and federal funding would only
meet the state’s transportation needs” through 2029. “By 2030, a funding gap
would emerge and continue to grow over time, reaching $1.7 billion annually in
2040 and $5.6 billion annually in 2055,” it says.
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“Under these projected funding and expenditure levels,
Connecticut can only sustain its current infrastructure investment for the next
few years before it begins facing a major shortfall in funding to meet baseline
needs. While core maintenance and operations can continue in the near term,
additional or enhanced revenue sources would be needed to maintain current
service levels and system performance.”
The report, which notes the state “transportation system relies on
a mix of federal, state, and local funding sources,” also offers “alternative
future scenario forecast findings” through which the gap would be lower or
disappear. For example, under an “accelerated plus scenario” in which the
assumption would be increased federal funding, consistent bonding proceeds, and
increased new state funding source (to $800M), the total funding available
through 2035 would be $47.9 billion, it says. In this example the average annual
funding in 2025 dollars is $4.1 billion.
A DOT spokesperson said the Long-Range Transportation Plan
lays “out different scenarios for different levels of investment. These
plans are focused on the transportation system of the future, not how to fund
the system.”
“Decisions on how to fund transportation are made as part of
the state budget process. CTDOT does not propose transportation funding
measures but rather, is doing the work to ensure Connecticut is in a position
to put to work whatever funding streams might be in place in 2055.”
The spokesperson said that increased level of investment
“would require new funding sources as the transportation system evolves over
the next few years and decades.”
Working toward zero
The agency said that safety is a top priority for the future
of transportation. The DOT said the agency, for example will focus on
increasing work zone safety training, awareness, and enforcement. In addition,
transportation officials will support the expansion of programs such as
the state’s wrong way driving alert program, automated
speed enforcement through cameras, and continue complete streets initiatives.
Complete streets in Connecticut refers to roadway policies
and designs aimed at making public rights-of-way safe, accessible, and
convenient for all users—including pedestrians, bicyclists, transit riders, and
motorists of all ages and abilities, according to the DOT.
Officials say traffic fatalities in the state fell 12% in
2025 compared with the previous year. Preliminary data from CTDOT’s Highway
Safety Office show 274 roadway deaths in 2025, down from 312 in 2024. Officials
say greater awareness around safe driving, targeted enforcement, and the
state’s wrong way driving alert program have all saved lives.
“Our combined efforts of engineering, education, and
enforcement is helping improve road safety in our state, and we will keep
working hard toward our goal of ZERO traffic fatalities and serious injuries,”
the DOT said in the report.
The agency also highlighted that seatbelt usage has
increased by 12% since 2014 and that wrong way detection systems have been
installed at over 200 locations across the state. Officials say they have been
83% effective in stopping wrong way driving, significantly reducing crashes.
There have been an average of 268 crashes involving
fatalities per year on Connecticut’s roadways between 2023 and 2025, officials
said.
How we get there
The state transportation agency also said the way people use
transportation has changed over time. In 2024, officials said they conducted a
daily travel survey to gain insight into Connecticut residents’ travel
patterns. Over 8,400 households participated through surveys, travel diaries,
and smartphone tracking.
The agency found that 79.8% of respondents use a personal
vehicle daily, 6.1% ride a bus or take public rail, 9.3% walk, bike, or use a
wheelchair, 3.2% use a school bus, and 1.6% use other modes. Among those
that responded, 26.6% said they were going somewhere work-related, 22.8% said
they were doing shopping, meals, and errands, 13.5% said trips were
school-related, 13.1% said a loop trip such as dog walking, 11.2% said
escorting someone else, 10.1% said social and recreational, and 2.6% said an
overnight stay.
According to the daily travel survey, 51% of residents work
from home at least occasionally, and 16% of residents work from home full time.
As people continue to work remotely and access more services virtually,
traditional travel patterns are changing, the agency said.
“Our last long-range transportation plan was published in
2018, and so much has changed since then. Connecticut is growing and people’s
travel needs are evolving. Connecticut 2055 reflects this reality and ensures
safety and mobility remain the top priority,” Eucalitto said. “Whether someone
drives, uses public transportation, walks, or bikes, that trip must be safe and
convenient. Connecticut 2055 is a transformative plan that will drive economic
growth, connect our communities, and enhance lives through a forward-thinking,
multimodal transportation system.”
The DOT said that among its top priorities over the next
three decades is to enhance multimodal transportation choices by increasing
access to public transportation. The agency said it aims to increase public
transportation frequency through expanding coverage and continuing to improve
reliability for bus and rail options.
Officials say they want to prioritize investments that close
connectivity gaps between transportation modes, neighborhoods, job centers,
healthcare, education, and regional hubs. The idea officials say is that
transportation will better connect communities and cities in the state for
residents to have greater mobility options. This will become more important as
the state’s population grows and increases the number of cars on Connecticut’s
roads, increasing congestion and commuting times.
“In Connecticut and nationwide, the combined cost of housing and transportation often consumes half
of a household’s budget, with low- and moderate-income families most affected.
As housing costs continue to climb, aligning transportation and housing
strategies is essential for improving affordability, reducing economic burdens,
and enhancing quality of life,” the report says.
Connecticut has 3.6 million residents and that number is
expected to grow 9% by 2055, with an additional 18% growth in employment,
according to the report. The state has 3,716 overall miles of
state-maintained roads, 4,002 state-maintained bridge, and 238 miles of
state-maintained rail.
The DOT notes it uses a statewide vehicle miles traveled
metric to show “where demand for travel occurs across the roadway network and
understand how that changes over time,” and reports that, in 2024, about 30.5
billion vehicle miles were traveled in Connecticut.
“Today, congestion is most extensive within the urbanized
areas of Bridgeport, Stamford, and New Haven. By 2055, congestion is expected
to worsen through steady population growth, growth in vehicle miles traveled,
and expanding economic activity. Vital corridors such as I-95 and I-84 will be
particularly impacted by more frequent bottlenecks and delays. By prioritizing
infrastructure upgrades, expanding multimodal options, and leveraging
technology to optimize traffic flow, CTDOT can work to reduce congestion,
enhance mobility, and support Connecticut’s long-term vitality,” the report
said.
The report also outlines the state’s changing climate and the impacts of
severe weather events on infrastructure.
The agency said that over the coming years it will develop
improved data collection and forecasting tools to better assess bridges,
culverts, and other transportation infrastructure areas that are prone to
intense storms, recurring flooding, and extreme weather.
The report also highlighted the DOT’s plans to incorporate
resilient roadway design such as raising road elevations, armoring roadway
shoulders, minimizing erosion, stabilizing embankments, using stronger pavement
surfaces, adding protective coatings on bridges, and improving storm water
drainage to protect against severe weather impacts.
Other priorities outlined include improving emergency
preparedness by developing communications procedures that improve coordination
across DOT staff, transportation operators, and transportation users prior to,
during, and after emergencies.
In the realm of freight rail, trucking, aviation, ports, and
waterways, the report found: constraints in the rail system that limit freight
volume and reduce “operational efficiency”, congestion and capacity issues on
routes leading to and from Bradley
International Airport; congestion and traffic delays on key freight routes
that slow deliveries and increase operating costs; lack of sufficient and safe
overnight parking options for truck drivers; sediment buildup and material
disposal needs at ports and navigable channels that limit freight capacity and
navigability, a need for rehabilitating, repairing, and replacing deteriorating
facilities and expanding rail access at the Port of New London and Port of New
Haven to maintain operations.
For opportunities is those areas, the report states that
improvement can be made to rail freight linkages and supply chain connectivity
to streamline transfers between rail, truck, and port facilities; improvements
made to transportation hubs that support goods movement; there could be a modal
shift from highways to freight rail to reduce congestion, lower emissions, and
improve system performance and use of state coastal and river assets as freight
movement options to relieve pressure on highways.
The report also, in the area of autonomous vehicle pilot
programs, says the state should consider legislation and partnering with AV
companies for pilot deployment of AVs in urban and rural areas and potentially
support expanded drone use for traffic monitoring, emergency management
support, and post-disaster assessments.
The entire report along
with the state’s transportation goals and vision for Connecticut
2055 can be found here.