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 May 4, CT Insider published this letter to the editor “Electrify our state buildings” by Susan Eastwood about electrifying the Capitol Area System.

 

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.

 

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. On May 10, Sierra Club filed these comments to DEEP on the Air Quality Regulations calling for adoption of emissions limits on nitrogen oxides (NOx) from new residential and commercial appliances and to implement strong controls on NOx emissions from compressor stations in the state to attain federal ozone requirements.

 

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.  

 

Tweed Airport expansion: Shoreline residents have formed Save Our Shoreline in response to the proposed expansion of Tweed airport, and are leading efforts to oppose the expansion, read more here. On April 20, Sierra Club sent these comments to Tweed urging an Environmental Impact Statement be prepared to provide a public and transparent analysis of the environmental impacts of the proposed expansion including inland and tidal wetland impacts; stormwater flooding, sea-level rise, and other floodplain and resilience issues; disruption of local and migratory wildlife habitat; compromised water quality due to increased traffic and discharges; increased greenhouse gas emissions; and the effects of emissions, traffic, and noise on the local communities.

 

On May 1, Sierra Club, along with other organizations filed a protest at FERC to stop ISO New England proposal for additional $500 Million For Inventoried Energy Program. See press release here. 

 

Zero Waste

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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 April 25, Sierra Club and the CT Coalition for Economic and Environmental Justice joined in these comments calling for states (including CT) to end exemptions for incinerators for excess emissions during periods of startup, shutdown, and malfunction. The comments include powerful Connecticut community member stories thanks to the CT Coalition for Economic and Environmental Justice. Also on April 25, Sierra Club and the Zero Waste Coalition hosted a webinar on Zero Waste proposals in the 2023 legislature; the recording is here.

 

Local Teams

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The West Hartford team is planning activities throughout 2023 to educate and mobilize the community around pollinator pathways, e-bikes, electric lawn equipment, solar canopies and more; read more here. 

 

Clean Transportation

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Sierra Club is working with allies to advocate for policies that promote car-free transportation, electric vehicles, electric vehicle charging, fleet transition, and more. On April 13, Sierra Club joined in this press statement on Save the Sound’s Connecticut Electric Vehicle Policy Impact Study. The study shows significant economic benefits for Connecticut, along with public health, climate benefits, that will come with adoption of clean vehicle regulations. 

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Land & Water

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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.

 

A cross-sector partnership is a collaboration between different organizations, stakeholders, and community members who come together to work toward a common goal. In the case of Remington Woods, a 422-acre urban forest in Bridgeport & Stratford, the Remington Woods Cross-Sector Partnership aims to protect this important natural resource from being developed. Sierra Club is co-hosting a birdwatching 101 event in Bridgeport as part of Black Birders Week and Trails Day, in collaboration with the Aspetuck Land Trust and Connecticut Land Conservation Council.

 

Wildlife

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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

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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.  On May 24, Sierra Club Connecticut joined CCAG, the Gwich’in Steering Committee and other organizations in a rally for climate outside the Travelers Insurance company annual shareholder meeting. Though 12 global insurers now restrict underwriting conventional oil and gas projects and/or companies, the Travelers insurance company opposed shareholder resolutions to adopt similar climate policies; read more from Indian Country Today News and CT Insider. 

 

Legislative Session

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The 2023 session began on Wednesday, January 4, 2023, and your Sierra Club was at the Capitol to share information on our priorities for 2023. The Legislative Committee has met with dozens of legislators for briefings on the priorities. See priorities and bills we are tracking here. The Committee meets every Monday at 7 pm. Contact Art Helmus, Legislative Chair, for more information.