Tag Archives: CT

CPES Board Member to Receive Good Scout Award

1503-9927Where:  IL Monticello, 577 South Broad St, Meriden, CT
When:   May 12, 2016,  5:30 – 7:15 p.m. Cocktail

The Boy Scouts of America Connecticut Yankee Council is recognizing CPES board member Fred Klein with its Good Scout Award. Fred will be honored May 12 in Meriden at the Boy Scouts’ 8th Annual STEM/Environment Award Reception.

This event recognizes individuals whose leadership to Connecticut’s Energy, Utility and Environmental industries builds a better world for future generations of young people.

For more information, please click here.

Proceeds benefit local workforce development, environmental stewardship, and leadership growth programs of the Boy Scouts of America.

CPES: Natural Gas Infrastructure Projects Serving Customers in Connecticut

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On April 13, 2016, the Connecticut Power and Energy Society (CPES) heard from representatives of the natural gas industry on infrastructure projects progressing within Connecticut and throughout New England.

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Left to Right:
Michael Dirrane, Steve Leahy, Cynthia Armstrong, Gregg Therrien,  Robert Perless,  Chris Luca

As background, moderator Stephen Leahy, Vice President of Policy & Analysis for the Northeast Gas Association, explained that there are five interstate natural gas pipelines serving New England: (1) the Algonquin Gas Transmission Pipeline, (2) the Tennessee Gas Pipeline, (3) the Iroquois Gas Transmission System, (4) the Portland Natural Gas Transmission System, and (5) the Maritimes and Northeast Pipeline. There are also several liquefied natural gas (LNG) facilities serving the region, including Distrigas in Everett, Massachusetts and Canaport in Saint John, New Brunswick.

Michael Dirrane, Director of Marketing for Spectra Energy, discussed the infrastructure projects in progress and proposed along the Algonquin and Maritimes transmission systems, including the Algonquin Incremental Market (AIM) project, the Atlantic Bridge project, and the Access Northeast project. According to Dirrane, the AIM project will add 20% more gas capacity to the Algonquin pipeline, enabling additional supplies of Marcellus Shale gas to reach customers in Connecticut. The project has an in-service date of November 2016.

Cynthia Armstrong, Director of Marketing & Business Development for Portland Natural Gas Transmission System (PNGTS), provided background on PNGTS, which began serving New England in 1999 and now consists of more than 300 miles of pipeline. She explained that PNGTS delivers gas into the Algonquin and Tennessee pipelines, back-feeding the region’s natural gas transmission system from the east.

Rob Perless, Project Development Manager for Iroquois Gas Transmission System, provided background on the Iroquois system, which commenced operations in 1991 and was designed to bring Canadian gas down to the New York and New England markets. Perless provided an update on the Constitution Pipeline project, which has faced significant regulatory delays in the State of New York. Perless also provided an update on the project Iroquois plans to submit in response to the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection’s Request for Proposals (RFP) for natural gas expansion projects.

Gregg Therrien, Director of Gas Construction for Connecticut Natural Gas and The Southern Connecticut Gas Company, discussed expansion projects on the local gas distribution system in Connecticut. Many of these projects, he explained, were made possible by the 2013 Comprehensive Energy Strategy and legislation passed in 2014 to enable the recovery of costs associated with gas expansion projects over a 25-year period.

Christopher Luca, Program Manager of Gas Expansion for Eversource, discussed the Wilton, Connecticut expansion project, a 3.6-mile distribution system expansion project which began on August 1, 2014 and concluded on October 24, 2014. The project involved extensive community engagement to ensure construction met the Town’s desired timeline, particularly for a local school and the downtown business district. This project would not have been possible, Luca said, without the Comprehensive Energy Strategy and the legislation passed to implement it.

March 9, 2016: Energy, Environment & Economic Development Conference

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Connecticut Governor Dannel P. Malloy to addressed the CPES at the March 9th, E3 Conference.

 

REGISTER HERE

March 9, 2016: Energy, Environment & Economic Development Conference
8:00 AM – 2:30 PM, Courtyard Marriott, Cromwell, Connecticut
Press Release

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Our annual Energy, Environment and Economic Development Conference brings together Connecticut’s leaders from the energy and related industries to learn how the energy industry interacts with environmental regulators to impact the economic development of our state.

 

Featured Speakers:

Fred Carstensen, professor of Economics.

Fred V. Carstensen, PhD, Professor of Finance and Economics, UCONN School of Business and Director, Connecticut Center for Economic Analysis, will present: An Overview of Connecticut’s Economic Outlook

 

Dan Sosland
Daniel L. Sosland, President, Acadia Center, a non-profit research and policy advocacy organization advancing the clean energy future at the state and regional levels will discuss: Environmental Legislative and Regulatory Overview

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Katie Scharf Dykes, Deputy Commissioner – Energy, Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection, will present: A DEEP Update

 

Our program will include panels on:

  • New England energy plans and their impact on Connecticut
  • Innovative technological advances that will revolutionize the energy industry and bring jobs to Connecticut
  • How local leaders are building the future of their community’s energy systems

For the full agenda, please click here.
For printable flyer agenda, please click here.
REGISTER NOW

Thank You to Our Sponsors To Date!

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Congresswoman Elizabeth Esty Visits with the CPES

From left to right: Weezie Nuara, ISO New England; Congresswoman Elizabeth Esty; Joey Lee Miranda, Robinson & Cole, CPES President; and Alexandrea Isaac, Starion Energy, CPES Board Member.

From left to right: Weezie Nuara, ISO New England; Congresswoman Elizabeth Esty; Joey Lee Miranda, Robinson & Cole, CPES President; and Alexandrea Isaac, Starion Energy, CPES Board Member.

On February 17, 2016, the Connecticut Power and Energy Society (CPES) hosted Congresswoman Elizabeth Esty, the U.S. Representative for the 5th Congressional District of Connecticut. Congresswoman Esty offered her thoughts on a wide range of issues, including climate change, the Clean Power Plan, and the 2016 Presidential race. On the issue of climate change, Esty pointed to a deep divide in Congress, but said she is working with other Members to strengthen our resiliency to the impacts of climate change. From the east coast to the west coast, the impacts are clear, she said, and we must prepare for more frequent and extreme weather events.

She commended the state of Connecticut for its leadership role in climate change mitigation and renewable energy policy, particularly the efforts of Deputy Commissioner Katie Dykes. On November 18, 2015, Dykes testified before the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee on Connecticut’s participation in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) and other climate change mitigation programs, which, in her view, have been accompanied by consumer savings, economic growth, and reliable power. Congresswoman Esty assured attendees that Connecticut was smart to move ahead on RGGI and other complimentary policies relating to climate change and renewable energy development. Congresswoman Esty also commented on the recent extensions of the Production and Investment Tax Credits, policies favorable to wind and solar development in the U.S. She made clear that fuel cells were intended to be among the technologies eligible for these important tax credits and that she is working with House Speaker Paul Ryan to amend the legislation to include them.

Congresswoman Esty commented on the passing of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, who days before his death joined a five-judge majority to stay the implementation of the Clean Power Plan, the Environmental Protection Agency’s final rule to reduce carbon pollution from fossil-fueled power plants. Esty paid homage to Scalia’s intellectual force and brilliant legal mind. She noted that President Obama is considering several names for nomination to fill the vacant seat, but was unsure whether the Senate would hold a confirmation hearing before his term expires.

Finally, Congresswoman Esty assured attendees that despite the volatility of an election year, she is committed to working across party lines to find common ground and “get things done” in Washington. She likened her approach to finding the overlapping space in a Venn diagram, stating that “this is the space I am trying to work in.” She is striving to make progress, she said, not headlines.