Beyond Gas, Clean Energy & Climate

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Sierra Club is working with community and statewide partners to replace Hartford's Capitol Area System with a 100% renewable alternative. Learn more and add your name urging Gov. Lamont to commit to a 100% renewable replacement for the fossil gas energy plant and buildings it serves. On June 27, Sierra Club members, supporters and staff provided public comment at a Scoping meeting for the Capitol Area System held by the Department of Administrative Services. Written public comments are due on July 7, add your name to these public comments. 

 

Compressor stations: The giant fossil fuel corporation Berkshire Hathaway Energy and TC Inc. (BHETC) is proposing to drastically increase the amount of gas it pushes through its 414 -mile long "Iroquois" fracked gas pipeline by expanding compressor stations in Connecticut and New York. The expansion applications are now before Connecticut's Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. Sierra Club is working with residents of Brookfield to raise awareness of the proposed doubling of the Brookfield Compressor station. On June 4, residents shared information at a neighborhood block party. On June 14, we sent this letter urging air monitoring and requesting DEEP visit Brookfield.

 

Air quality monitoring/citizen science: Since May 2021, Sierra Club members have been learning about air monitoring in Connecticut and have analyzed data from various sources. The team is now working on a paper on the topic, Stay tuned! For more information contact Martha. Air quality monitoring was in the news in June as smoke from Canadian wildfires led to hazardous air; many residents looked for information from real-time air monitoring sites like EPA’s Air Now.

 

DEEP is in the process of updating the Comprehensive Energy Strategy (CES), a guide for future energy decisions. Sierra Club is urging DEEP to draft a CES that stops expanding the use of fracked gas and starts decreasing all polluting fossil fuels, electrifies everything, prioritizes equity, and does not recommend false solutions. A draft CES is expected to be released for public comment soon.  

 

On June 20, FERC held anotherNew England Winter Gas-Electric Forum. Sierra Club joined in comments of the Fix the Grid coalition calling for ISO-New England to work with states and public interest organizations to envision a reliable grid that is also affordable and sustainable for all communities. 

 

Zero Waste

Sierra Club Connecticut is working with allies led by CT Coalition for Environmental Justice to oppose trash incineration and to implement Zero Waste policies. On June 11, the West Hartford team and Natural Dividends held a clean up along the Trout Brook Trail. Despite our advocacy, the 2023 Legislative session was disappointing for zero waste policies to address our waste crisis. A weak Extended Producer Responsibility law for tires was passed, as well as legislation enabling new infrastructure for incineration of waste. We plan to come back next session to make real progress on reducing the waste stream by improving food waste collection, recycling and reducing single use plastics. The Covanta trash incinerator in Bristol has announced that they will begin continuous monitoring for mercury emissions in response to citizen concerns. 

 

Clean Transportation

Sierra Club is working with allies to advocate for policies that promote car-free transportation, electric vehicles, electric vehicle charging, fleet transition, and more. 

 

Land & Water

Remington Woods: Sierra Club Connecticut’s Save Remington Woods campaign aims to protect Remington Woods from development and to be preserved in its entirety. Remington Woods is a 422 acre forest in Bridgeport and Stratford. Sign the petition to Save Remington Woods here.  Are you following Save Remington Woods on Facebook? Visit and see our latest posts. On June 4, Sierra Club collaborated with BlackAFinStem (creators of Black Birder’s Week), Aspetuck Land Trust and the Connecticut Land Conservation Council to hold a bird watching event as part of Black Birder’s Week. One June 27, Sierra Club convened the Remington Woods Cross-Sector Partnership to continue collaboration between different organizations, stakeholders, and community members working toward the protection of Remington Woods, a 422-acre urban forest in Bridgeport & Stratford.

 

Wildlife

Wildlife: The Wildlife Committee is working to protect wildlife in our state through education and policy change, including bear education, and raising awareness of the dangers of mowing hayfields on the local grassland bird population, including the Bobolink. On July 6, Sierra Club Education and Activist Hour will feature a presentation and action on grassland habitats and wildlife. 

 

Insure Our Future

Insure Our Future: Banks, Asset Managers, and Insurance companies are all implicated in financing the fossil fuel industry. Here in Connecticut, Sierra Club is partnering with CCAG and the Insure Our Future campaign to urge the Connecticut insurance industry to stop investing in and underwriting fossil fuels.  

 

Legislative Session

The 2023 session concluded on Wednesday, June 7, 2023, and your Sierra Club was there throughout the session working for strong environmental policies. Preparing for 2024 begins now! Contact Art Helmus, Legislative Chair, to get involved.