If one of your New Year's resolutions was to be more eco-conscious and environmentally pro-active, look at all those pieces of paper stuffed into your Northeast Utilities bill. One of them gives you the information you need to sign up for clean energy. Connecticut Light & Power allows you to opt to have all your electricity come from a company called Sterling Planet, which makes energy from renewable sources: 33% wind, 34% landfill gas and 33% small hydro. CL&P estimates that it will cost a typical household $3.85 to $8 more per month, which seems a bargain to help free us from our dependence on oil, coal and nuclear energy. What's more, I was told at a party yesterday that if 100 household in Falls Village sign up for this program, the town will get a solar panel that will allow the town to produce its own energy, which would cut down on expenses for the town. (If anyone knows more about this program, please share the information.)
And speaking of the environment, Ruth Skovron, who sits on the P&Z Commission, and First Selectman Pat Mechare have been working to create a Northwestern Connecticut Regional Planning Cooperative. It isn't fully funded yet, but it already has a great website if you are interested in issues like open space, affordable housing, conservation easements and protecting the natural beauty of our area.
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
Think Globally, Act Locally
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7 comments:
There is also a new company that rents solar energy packages for those who don't have or want to invest $40,000+ in a system. They install and maintain a system on your home and you pay a flat monthly rental fee for up to 25 years. I know a few of us here in Falls Village have signed up and hope to be producing our own solar energy in the next year or so. For more information go to http://renu.citizenre.com/index.php
I just thought I'd mention that our 24 panel system didn't cost us anything like $40k. The state's Clean Energy Fund pays for half... It still ain't cheap, but the payoff is currently estimated at fifteen years and panels are warranted for 25 years. We feel it is well worth it, although the plan anonymous is signing up for is another great way to do it if you have the southern exposure!
There's an article in the January Cornwall Chronicle (available on the Cornwall website) about the process they've gone through to sign up enough people to get a solar panel. They plan to locate it at CCS so that part of the school's electricity can be essentially free.
I don't have much southern exposure and very little land as I live in town, so I long ago replaced all my light bulbs and had CL&P do an energy audit. Now I've discovered http://hes.lbl.gov/
It's a government site that uses info that you provide about number of windows, square footage of your home, what type of furnace you have, your cost of fuel, what pay back period you want, etc plus your zip code to suggest ways to save energy. It's a pretty neat site.
I was speaking with a friend from Cornwall, Richard Bramley, and Cornwall is getting two solar panels (worth about $1,000 each) from CL&P for their participation in the Green energy program, not just the one. This could work for us, too! It would be wonderful for a small town to have panels on the High School or Kellogg!
Hey Dan,
I just read this entry (I'm catching up from the last pre-baby month) - what ever became of this? Did enough people sign up? It's the first I've heard of it, but 62 and 43 Dublin will definitely be going green...
-Lara
You might be interested in checking out the (unofficial) Cornwall energy blog for some really useful information regarding all of this:
cornwallcleanenergy.blogspot.com/
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