Every month you buy electricity. Are you paying for clean, renewable energy produced by wind, water and other sources or are you buying energy generated by oil, coal and nuclear plants? Did you know you have a choice? Here is an easy step you can take that will make a difference in how energy is produced.
CTCleanEnergyOptions is a Department of Public Utilities Control (DPUC) approved program that allows any CL&P customer the opportunity to support clean energy. Customers who enroll, pay a small clean energy surcharge and continue to receive electric generation services from CL&P or an electric supplier. Currently over 20,000 Connecticut consumers have committed to support clean energy.
You can join by returning the insert with your electric bill, going to CTCleanEnergyOptions, or signing up at the Vernon Healthfest, Booth #210. Visit the website for more information and pricing.
Once you’ve made the decision to support Clean Energy you’ll want to know if your town is supporting it as well. If your community has joined the Connecticut Clean Energy Communities program, you are also helping your city or town qualify for free solar electric systems for a public building. It works like this: In order to get communities behind the project and encourage towns to think about their own energy use each community is first encouraged to commit to having 20% of the electricity for all municipal facilities from clean renewable energy sources by the year 2010. Then a certain number of community households or businesses must sign up for clean energy. By meeting these criteria, your town can qualify for a free clean energy system (solar photovoltaic, wind or solar thermal) from the Connecticut Clean Energy Fund.
Only 7 of the 15 towns that Conscious CT covers have pledged to have 20% renewable energy by 2010. Of the 7 only 3, Coventry, Glastonbury and Manchester, have achieved the first stage goal of meeting CCEC requirements and received free systems. With 2010 only a year away that's not very impressive. Our towns definitely need a prod from us. In our towns an average of only 1.6% of the households have signed up for clean energy; best is Glastonbury with 4.1%. To see how your town is doing visit Conscious CT's Scorecard.
The poor showing may be because people aren't aware of the program. Towns have other priorities and those with an active programs were often initiated by individuals who approached their town. If you are willing to take the issue to your town we can find you support from others who have done the same. At the Vernon Healthfest you can learn more by talking with JEFF BOULRICE, Vernon’s volunteer coordinator, who will be at Booth #210.
Conscious CT covers 15 communities and we think our readers are people who will work to make a difference. Together we can let our communities know we care and bring attention to this and other programs. Each quarter we’ll update and call attention to the Conscious CT Scorecard to let you know how your community is doing. Hopefully by shining light on this area we can make a difference.
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