More public input is needed to stop additional permits for the
proposed fracked-gas power plant in Killingly!
(And 2 other locations in CT – see more details below on how to comment)
The CT Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) has tentatively approved another permit related to building a new fracked-gas power plant in Killingly. This permit is to build a 2.8-mile pipeline to serve the Killingly power plant.
This is a tentative decision. Right now, there is an open public comment period on this permit application. Public comments are due January 20th (and the sooner, the better).
Join us in telling Governor Lamont and DEEP Commissioner Dykes that they should deny this permit in the final decision.
Two opportunities for commenting:
- Call or email Governor Lamont. Tell him that DEEP’s tentative approval of this permit was a bad call and that the permit should be denied in the final decision.
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- Phone numbers: Local phone number (Hartford area): 860-566-4840; Toll-free: 800-406-1527; TDD: 860-524-7397
- Online comment portal: https://portal.ct.gov/Office-of-the-Governor/Contact/Email-Governor-Lamont
- Submit a written public comment to DEEP by January 20th urging DEEP to deny the permit in its final decision. Comments should be sent to Alexander Ericson at: alexander.ericson@ct.gov
Other action opportunities:
- Reach out to your friends, family, or members of your religious community to urge them to call or email the Governor and Commissioner Dykes as well. The more people reaching out to our state leaders, the harder our voices will be to ignore.
- Consider writing a letter to the editor (LTE) or op-ed in your local paper about why you believe this project is harmful to health of our planet and the people of Connecticut. Reach out to us if you would like support with this.
- Do you have any creative ideas for public actions to get Governor Lamont’s attention? Let us know! Sunrise CT and Sierra Club CT are planning a “die-in” action at the Capitol on Wednesday. See this event notice for more details.
Potential talking points for calls and emails:
- This pipeline would cut through wetlands and cause environmental damage. Gas pipelines also carry the very real risk of leaks, causing methane to escape into the air and soil. Methane is a powerful greenhouse gas contributing to climate change.
- The burning of fossil fuels is harmful to human health; causing air pollution which contributes to health issues such as asthma, other respiratory issues, cancer, and premature death. We know that these negative health impacts are disproportionately felt by low-income communities and communities of color.
- Approval of new fossil fuel projects is inconsistent with the state’s climate mandates. By law, CT is required to “achieve greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction of at least 45% below 2001’s GHG emissions level by January 1, 2030” and in Executive Order 3, Governor Lamont voiced his goal of “achieving a 100% zero carbon target for the electric sector by 2040.”
- We cannot meet these goals if state leaders continue to allow for fossil fuel expansion.
- A new gas power plant is not needed in Connecticut. In his recent op-ed, Dr. Kris Kuhn states, “Electricity use in Connecticut has flattened in recent years, primarily due to increased efficiency. In addition, Independent Systems Operator – New England (ISO-NE), the electricity grid-manager for six states, reported an excess [region-wide] system capacity for 2018 of over 1,000 MW, even without accounting for growing solar and wind contributions.”
- Call on Commissioner Dykes to use her authority in a way that will protect people from harm! She has stated that it is our regional grid operator ISO-New England’s capacity market that “selected and moved that project forward. Not any procurement or contract or decision or selection decision coming out of the state of Connecticut.” But she does have the authority to deny the permit applications and stop the project.
- Recently, a spokesperson for ISO-NE stated that in fact, states “control what is built.” It is states who have the decision-making authority around the permits for these energy projects.
- In other states, including neighboring NY, the governor and the Department of Environmental Protection recently denied permits for a large fossil fuel project.
- In 2019, Commissioner Dykes publicly stated that she does not believe that natural gas is a “bridge fuel”. Then why does she continue to move this, and other fossil fuel projects, forward?
Also note that the proposed power plant in Killingly is not the only fossil fuel project moving forward in Connecticut right now! Our partners at the CT Chapter of the Sierra Club have alerted us to 2 more projects that are in the works:
- DEEP has also approved new gas infrastructure at UCONN, send comments by January 15 to Lidia.howard@ct.gov.
- And DEEP has approved 375 megawatts of gas generation in Middletown. Click here for an article in CT Examiner. A status conference to schedule the hearing will be held on January 13, 2021 at 1 PM. RSVP to receive Zoom link https://ctdeep.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJUqfuyuqzwoHNSSRbsYN6TqgMyGN5UV5M1v
Recent media coverage for more background information:
“As permits for Killingly gas plant advance, environmentalists step up demands to pull the plug” (Hartford Courant, January 1, 2021)
“Climate science demands a halt to Killingly power plant” (CT Mirror, January 6, 2021)
“Moving forward on Killingly power plant is illogical and immoral” (September 2020 Hartford Courant op-ed by CCFJ’s Associate Director, Rachel Lea Scott)
Thank you for your continued advocacy!
