Samantha Dynowski, 860-916-3639, samantha.dynowski@sierraclub.org
Middletown, CT -- Environment, clean energy and community activists submitted comments on Friday to the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) in opposition to its tentative approval of air permits for a Middletown fossil fuel power plant.
The current Middletown Repowering LLC owner, NRG, is pursuing air permits for a new turbine, which will be allowed to emit up to 1 million tons of carbon into the atmosphere per year—a net increase of 891,701 tons per year above the existing facility and equal to 13% of greenhouse gas emissions from current power generation in Connecticut. For context, this level of pollution will be the equivalent of introducing almost 175,000 cars to the road in one year.
DEEP’s tentative approval was issued despite Governor Lamont’s calling for 100% zero-carbon electricity by 2040 and the state’s Global Warming Solutions Act (GWSA) mandating reductions in greenhouse gas emissions of 45% below 2001 levels by 2030 and 80% by 2050.
“We have a climate emergency on our hands, and siting this new turbine would be irresponsible and put the people who are already suffering from high rates of asthma and other health issues even more at risk,” Rebecca MacLachlan a Middletown resident said. “We should be exploring and supporting renewable energy at this point and not supporting antiquated fossil-fuel generation any longer.”
The Middletown proposal is just one example of DEEP consistently contradicting the state’s own climate and clean energy policies. DEEP has also approved all of the permits requested for a proposed new gas plant in Killingly, the Killingly Energy Center. Additionally, DEEP is requiring ratepayer funded subsidies for 900 miles of new gas pipelines and infrastructure within the state. Instead of cleaning Connecticut's energy grid in a way that is supported by state residents, these actions lock customers into climate-destroying fracked gas precisely when the state should be planning to transition customers off of dirty fuels.
“First it was Killingly. Now it is Middletown. The Department of Energy and Environmental Protection continues to greenlight additional unnecessary fracked gas generation and increased carbon emissions, polluting our communities and speeding up the climate crisis. Governor Lamont must direct his environmental and energy protection agency to halt new fossil fuel infrastructure if he is serious about acting on climate and protecting our state.” Samantha Dynowski, Sierra Club Connecticut.
The proposed project has repeatedly failed to obtain a capacity supply obligation in ISO-NE’s Forward Capacity Market, meaning market forces deem this project unnecessary.
Sierra Club submitted these comments.
Comments of Rebecca MacLachlan
Comments of Allco Renewable Energy Limited
###
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with more than 3.5 million members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.