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. . 

 

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. Local residents now have a Facebook page, please like it!

 

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. On September 6, the air monitoring/citizen science team published this paper in Heliyon, a peer reviewed journal. A few of the conclusions of the research: Energy infrastructure is associated with particulate matter in proportion to its use, precipitation has the largest influence on air quality readings (lowering air pollution), and that more monitoring by CT DEEP, using low-cost PM2.5 sensors such as PurpleAir, placed at strategic locations throughout the state and also organizing private sensor deployment, data aggregation and analysis, would supplement the current state Air Quality plan considerably.

 

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 September 20,  Connecticut's Hidden Air Pollution Problem: Fossil Fuel in Buildings was released by Sierra Club, CLF, Save the Sound and RMI shows that nearly a quarter of the nitrogen oxide pollution in the state stems from fossil fuel-burning furnaces and water heaters — eight times more than the state’s power plants. It recommends the establishment of air quality standards for HVAC and water heating. The report was covered in the Hartford Courant and CT NewsJunkie  

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Building Electrification: On September 8, we delivered this letter of recommendations to DEEP on the Housing Environmental Improvement Revolving Loan Fund created in Public Act 23-205 and the Inflation Reduction Act Home Energy Rebate Programs currently under development.

 

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. 

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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.  Sierra Club Connecticut is urging passage of two sets of clean transportation regulations drafted by the Department of Energy & Environmental Protection. On September 13, we sent legislators and other decision makers this summary of support for ACCII and ACT adoption. On September 21, CTMirror published an op-ed by Samantha Dynowski, CT Needs Clean Cars and Trucks. 

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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. 

 

Toxics

PFAS: Stories about PFAs chemicals (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) are appearing regularly in the news. PFAs are being found in our water, food and more. PFAs have the grave potential to detrimentally impact human health. On September 20, Sierra Club’s Shawn Gregory and Clean Water Action’s Anne Hulick presented this webinar about the prevalence of PFAS, the dangers, and advocacy needed. If you’d like to host a PFAs meeting for your community or group, please let us know!

 

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. 
 

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 Legislative Committee has begun preparing for the 2024 legislative session that will begin on February 7, 2024. Priority issues for the Chapter include climate, clean energy, wildlife, waste reduction, and toxics. Contact Art Helmus, Legislative Chair, for more information.