While the winds of uncertainty continue to swirl around Nantucket Sound, clean energy has been sweeping the mainland in Cape Cod (and Martha’s Vineyard, too.)  On November 2, the leaders of the two largest towns in the region entered into a friendly wager to see which town could reach an enrollment level of 3 percent of local households for the Cape Light Compact Green (“CLCG”) program by the end of the year.  The challenge was intended to increase customer awareness of the new residential program and the “Solarize Our School” incentive program offered by the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative (MTC).

The race was fast and furious but the Town of Falmouth prevailed by meeting its 3 percent target with 416 signups.  As a result, the Town of Barnstable must prepare a delicious “Bounty of the Sea” meal for four Falmouth residents.  For its part, Barnstable, the larger of the two towns, has achieved 435 signups for the CLCG program but remains shy of its 3 percent goal. 

As of December 19, thirteen other towns have joined Falmouth by realizing participation of 3 percent of the local households in the program: Brewster, Chatham, Eastham, Harwich, Orleans, Provincetown, Sandwich, Truro, Wellfleet, Chilmark, Edgartown, Oak Bluffs and West Tisbury.  As a reward for meeting the target, each of these towns will receive a bonus grant from the MTC to install a solar electric system in one of its schools.  Overall, the CLCG program has achieved 2,656 participants out of its collective 3 percent goal of 3,036. 

SmartPower extends congratulations to everyone at Cape Light Compact Green; Robert Writenhour, Falmouth Town Adminstrator; John Klimm, Barnstable Town Manager; Cape & Islands Self-Reliance and MTC for the outstanding success of this program.

The Cape Light Compact is a regional services organization made up of all 21 towns of Cape Cod and Martha's Vineyard, and Barnstable and Dukes counties.  As authorized by each town, the Compact operates the regional energy efficiency program and works with the combined buying power of the region's 197,000 electric consumers to negotiate for lower cost electricity and other public benefits.

Three friends of clean energy and SmartPower carried the banner proudly this past Thanksgiving morning at the 69th running of the Manchester Road Race.  The 5K (4.748 miles) road race is a Thanksgiving tradition in Manchester, Connecticut.

Bryan Garcia, Chris Nelson & David Goldberg are all geared up for the race.

Of the estimated 12,000 runners, three of them; Bryan Garcia of the Connecticut Clean Energy Fund, Chris Nelson of the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection, and David Goldberg of the Connecticut Department of Public Utility Control were seen by both the runners and the crowd of onlookers wearing “Clean Energy.  Let’s Make More!” t-shirts.

The three runners received more than a few nods of approval at the sight of their clean energy t-shirt.  Manchester currently boasts over 100 customers of the CTCleanEnergyOptions^sm program and has had many conversations regarding the possibility of the town committing to the SmartPower 20% by 2010 Campaignsm.

“People in Manchester certainly seemed to be aware of clean energy,” reflected Bryan Garcia after he finished the race.  “It was really fun for the three of us to be seen wearing the clean energy message throughout the race, especially at the finish line.”

SmartPower hopes that this becomes an annual event for the three clean energy runners and that others will join in the fun next Thanksgiving, and start a holiday clean energy tradition in what we hope will be a 20% by 2010 community sometime soon.

As a first, in a series of steps in Project 100, the Connecticut Clean Energy Fund (CCEF), recently selected and forwarded three renewable energy projects to the state’s two major electric utilities, the Connecticut Light and Power Company (CL&P) and the United Illuminating Company (UI).  Designed to assist with the financing and development of renewable energy projects, Project 100 was created by the Connecticut General Assembly in 2003. Lise Dondy, COO of the Connecticut Clean Energy Funds notes, “This legislation creates a strong viable market for energy generated by clean and renewable-energy technologies. In doing so, it supports the advancement of an industry vital to our economy, our environment and our quality of life and serves as a national model for the country.”  The 100MW of clean, renewable and environmentally friendly electric power that will be generated as a result of Project 100 will benefit all of Connecticut’s citizens.   

Representing a diversity of fuel sources and technologies the following projects were selected: A 15 megawatt biomass project by GDI Renewable Power in Watertown, Connecticut; A 4 megawatt fuel cell project by PPL Energy Services Holding LLC in Wallingford, Connecticut (potentially the largest fuel cell installation in the state and one of the largest in the country); And a 15 megawatt wind project by enXco, LLC – Hoosac Wind in Florida, Massachusetts.  Totaling 34 megawatts combined, these three projects will generate enough clean energy to power approximately 25,000 average size homes in Connecticut.  “The projects selected will help in both near-term and long-term solutions to the problems of excessive dependence on imported fuels and rapidly-rising energy costs,” said Chandler J. Howard, President and Executive Director, Connecticut Innovations, which administers the Connecticut Clean Energy Fund.  “At the same time, Connecticut is demonstrating leadership in technology innovation and sound stewardship by encouraging the development of local renewable, environmentally-friendly energy resources that will also have a positive economic development impact on our state.”

The town of Milford is ringing out 2005 much the same as it ushered in the year: as a leader in the clean energy revolution in Connecticut!  On January 3rd, the “Small City with a Big Heart” became just the third municipality to join the SmartPower 20% by 2010 Campaign.

Milford Mayor James L. Ritchetelli.

Thanks to the strong leadership of Mayor James L. Richetelli, Jr., the Board of Aldermen and the Environmental Concerns Coalition led by Ann Berman, many other towns throughout the state and region have followed Milford’s example by making a commitment to clean energy.

On December 15th, a crowd at City Hall watched as Mayor Richetelli, State Senator Gayle Slossberg and Nanci Ann Seltzer of the Planning & Zoning Board became the 99th, 100th and 101st local customers of the CTCleanEnergyOptions^sm program, the final step to qualifying for a free 2kW solar energy system from the Connecticut Clean Energy Fund.  “Being the 100th person to sign up for the options program and putting Milford over the top will hopefully encourage others to sign up for this program,” stated Mayor Richetelli.  Milford became the state’s seventh “Clean Energy Community” and can continue to earn more free solar arrays by achieving more enrollments in the CTCleanEnergyOptions program.

State Senator Gayle Slossberg

“We need to invest in clean energy alternatives and the Connecticut Clean Energy Communities program provides this opportunity,” added Sen. Slossberg.  “As more people choose clean energy, more alternatives will become available to us and we’ll reduce our dependence on foreign oil and natural gas.  We should have had this program 30 years ago after the energy crisis of the 70s.  Maybe then we wouldn’t be at the mercy of sky-high oil and gas prices as we enter the winter heating season.”

“It is fitting that in this holiday season Milford has not only given a wonderful gift to its residents but now is about to receive one in the form of a free solar energy system,” said SmartPower New England Regional Director, Bob Wall.  “Achieving the status of a clean energy community demonstrates that clean energy is a strong and available source of electricity for Milford residents and others across Connecticut.”

Having made the commitment to the SmartPower 20% by 2010 Campaign, a growing number of towns are taking the next step by making actual purchases of clean energy products. 

First Selectwoman Susan Bransfield

Portland recently became the first town to make their first purchase through signing up for the CTCleanEnergyOptionssm program, choosing Sterling Planet to provide 3% of the electricity for municipal properties. As First Selectwoman Susan Bransfield noted in her column in Portland Online, “the immediate impact will be more clean energy on the grid, which results in cleaner air. In the long term this will spur the development of clean energy sources like solar and wind power. That means less pollution from systems made in this country, employing more Americans, using essentially free fuel.”   

Every local customer that signs up with Sterling Planet will not only help the town to qualify for a free solar energy system under the Connecticut Clean Energy Communities program but will also earn Portland a rebate from the supplier.

Middletown, CT

Across the Connecticut River, Middletown announced plans to purchase 500 MWh and 1,000 MWh of clean energy during the next two years from Community Energy, the state’s other independent clean energy supplier.  Its decision mirrored that of hometown Wesleyan University, which earlier this year became the largest institutional customer in the options program when it selected Community Energy.  Middletown, which has already qualified for two free solar arrays, can continue to earn more from the Connecticut Clean Energy Fund while at the same time achieving rebates for customers enrolled with its chosen supplier.

Westport, which has a long history of clean energy use has also chosen Sterling Planet as its clean energy provider and the 20% by 2010 Campaign.  According to Bob Maddox, Northeast Regional Manager for Sterling Planet, the town felt strongly about supporting small hydro facilities within the state.