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Senate reaches bipartisan deal on permitting bill to speed approvals of new energy projects
WASHINGTON (AP) — Senators from both parties said Wednesday they have reached a deal on legislation aimed at speeding up permitting reviews for new energy and infrastructure projects that now face yearslong delays, as lawmakers seek to meet growing demand for electricity and other forms of energy. The bill, proponents argue, would cut down the arduous timeline for getting big energy projects off the ground at a time when demand is rising because of mushrooming data centers for artificial intelligence. The bill would ensure AI data centers are forced to pay for the increased electricity they use and would mark a significant change to a landmark environmental law that critics say slows the process of building energy projects. Republican Sen. Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia, chair of the Environment and Public Works Committee, called the bill “a major step toward making it faster and more efficient and easier to build infrastructure projects” of all types while maintaining important environmental protections. “The American people sent us here to do big things. This is a big thing. It’s monumental and it’s legacy-setting,” Capito said at a news conference at the Capitol where she was joined by Republican Sen. Mike Lee of Utah and Democratic Sens. Martin Heinrich of New Mexico and Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island. The four senators lead the chamber’s energy and environment panels.
Federal Highway Administrator visits Gold Star Bridge project
New London — Federal Highway Administrator Sean McMaster visited the Gold Star Memorial Bridge on Wednesday and said he hopes other states follow Connecticut’s lead in rehabilitating and enhancing infrastructure critical to the local and national economy. During a news conference with views of the bridge, McMaster said the project has tremendous value, not just locally and regionally, but nationally due to daily freight and car traffic on Interstate 95. He said he “couldn’t be happier” about the progress that’s been made so far. McMaster said the project will support local commuters, as the region sees growth from Electric Boat, as well as help with the flow of traffic through the state. The approximately $900 million project to rehabilitate the northbound span between New London and Groton is the largest project in the state, said state Department of Transportation Commissioner Garrett Eucalitto. Slated for completion at the end of 2030, it includes replacing the bridge deck, bearings, approach slabs, signs and lighting, repairing and strengthening steel in the girder spans, repairing concrete and upgrading barriers and fencing.
https://theday.com/news/927168/federal-highway-administrator-visits-gold-star-bridge-project/
Residents, officials advocate for rail line extension
New London — Expanding Shore Line East rail service to Westerly, adding a second train station in New London, and providing better accommodations for bicycles on trains were among the suggestions residents and officials offered Tuesday on the state’s updated rail plan. More than 65 people attended the state Department of Transportation’s open house at the Public Library of New London on the long-range plan. The updated plan, anticipated to be finished in the winter of 2027, “provides an overview of the existing rail systems, a vision and goals for future improvements, and near and long-term investment priorities for passenger and freight rail,” according to the project website. Westerly Rail Advocates group members voiced support for extending Shore Line East, a commuter rail line that runs from New Haven to New London. Doug Brockway, the chairman of Westerly’s Economic Development Commission and a Westerly Rail Advocates member, said he supports raising the platforms at the Westerly station and doubling the five Amtrak trains that stop daily in Westerly and extending commuter rail there and farther in Rhode Island. He said the commuter rail extension would help the many Westerly residents who commute to Electric Boat in Groton, New London or Quonset Point to save money and have a less stressful commute, while Electric Boat also would not have to build parking lots.
https://theday.com/news/926849/residents-officials-advocate-for-rail-line-extension/
Colchester developer explores data center plan backed by 10-megwatt fuel cell facility
COLCHESTER — A local developer wants to pair 10 megawatts of approved fuel cell power generation with a “sustainable” data center project on Old Amston Road. Colchester-based ReNew Developers is seeking to build a pair of data centers on 17.15 acres along Old Amston Road, listed in the town’s land records without an address but referred to by the developer as 42 Old Amston Road. Though detailed plans have not been filed, representatives told the town’s Planning and Zoning Commission that one of the two data centers would be 20,000 square feet, with each building be supported by a 4.99-megawatt fuel cell facility. Earlier this year, ReNew Developers, filing as CMMD LLC, approached Colchester for a “preliminary review” of a zone change application for 42 Old Amston Road. A master plan included with the developer’s materials describes two “technology buildings” with associated fuel cell facilities, designated for two separate phases of construction, as well as two pads for carbon capture equipment. Each building would also have an associated “farm pad,” intended for an attached hydroponics facility. The Planning and Zoning Commission discussed the plan with ReNew Developers at a meeting on Sept. 16. Commission members asked questions and discussed the plan but took no action, as no formal application had been filed for the PZC to act on.
https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/article/colchester-ct-data-center-old-amston-road-22454214.php
CT residents are taking on a $100M project. It’s a fight against a town’s biggest taxpayer.
Opponents of AI data centers in Trumbull initially cheered when the town passed a moratorium earlier this month, but they’ve now gone into fundraising mode to try to block an existing center that wants to expand operations. At the same time, First Selectwoman Vicki Tesoro has been assuring residents that the change wouldn’t create the massive power and water usage associated with modern jumbo data centers. Instead, it would generate additional revenue from Trumbull’s biggest taxpayer, officials said. “I told the applicant directly: no increase in electrical draw beyond existing site capacity, no increase in noise, no increase in water use, no expansion of the building’s footprint. They have agreed to all four,” Tesoro told the town in a recent memo. But opponents are still concerned that vastly expanding operations at the existing 80 Merritt Blvd. data center would jeopardize the immediate neighborhood and possibly other parts of town.
Plans for Unilever’s New Haven innovation center detail $34.7M in state infrastructure support
Plans for Unilever’s $270 million innovation center in New Haven call for a nearly 253,000-square-foot building and $34.7 million in state funding for public infrastructure, including tunnels and plazas connecting the site to neighboring developments. The City Plan Commission is scheduled to review the project and hold a related public hearing Sept. 29. The four-story laboratory and office building would rise at 2 Church St., on a roughly 1.8-acre site between 101 College St. and the Church Street Bridge. It would be the third development in Downtown Crossing, an effort to reconnect New Haven’s Hill neighborhood and medical district with downtown on land once occupied by the Route 34 highway corridor. The city currently owns the site, which would be sold to WE 2 Church Street LLC, a company controlled by Massachusetts-based Winstanley Enterprises. Winstanley would develop the building, adding to the two major life sciences properties it built at 100 and 101 College St.
Waterbury seeks $25M to fix aging water system after major outages
WATERBURY — City leaders are asking the Board of Aldermen to approve a $25 million capital appropriation and bond authorization to improve Waterbury’s water system after water main breaks in December and July left thousands of residents without water for days. Ramon Esponda, who became the city’s new water superintendent over the summer, said this request is just “a drop in the bucket” in terms of what Waterbury will need to spend to completely rectify problems plaguing the water system. But it’s a start, he said. “The system needs a lot of work,” he said. “There’s a lot of issues that need to be addressed. It’s my problem now and I’ll fix it as best as I can.” A key piece of this ask, he said, is replacing three “major” valves that contributed to residents in parts of the city losing water during those water main breaks.
https://www.ctinsider.com/waterbury/waterbury/article/waterbury-ct-water-main-breaks-22445217.php
Infrastructure contractors dodged a funding cliff, but another looms
Congress bought infrastructure contractors more time, but it didn’t buy them much certainty. Lawmakers extended federal surface transportation programs under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act through Dec. 11, averting a Sept. 30 expiration that had many construction firms on edge. The Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, signed by President Donald Trump on Sept. 2, enacted the short-term extension. The funds are key for the construction industry, especially since infrastructure work remains one of the few reliable sources of construction activity outside data center projects. But the roughly 10-week reprieve falls well short of the multiyear funding certainty contractors hoped for, according to construction trade associations. Some state transportation departments had already begun scaling back on bid openings earlier this summer, said Alex Etchen, vice president of construction advocacy and risk management at the Associated General Contractors of America.
Dodd Stadium revamp tops $66.4M in state Community Investment Fund awards
A plan to turn Norwich’s Dodd Stadium into a year-round, multi-sport venue landed the largest award in the latest round of state Community Investment Fund grants. The Community Investment Fund 2030 Board on Tuesday recommended $8.1 million for the stadium, part of $66.4 million approved for 27 projects in Round 9. The board voted without opposition. The awards still need final approval. Gov. Ned Lamont will determine the funding mechanism for each project and recommend them to the state Bond Commission, according to Connecticut Sports Group. The Norwich Community Development Corp. will administer the grant and partner with Norwich Stadium Co., a Connecticut Sports Group subsidiary that will operate the city-owned ballpark under a multi-year lease starting in 2027. Connecticut Sports Group owns CT United FC, the MLS Next Pro team that signed on to play at Dodd after a plan for a Bridgeport stadium fell through, HBJ reported in May.
Waterford proposes road project to ease future EB traffic
Waterford — First Selectman Rob Brule is asking the state Department of Transportation to give the town land so it can build a new road that would connect the former Crystal Mall, soon to house thousands of Electric Boat workers, to Parkway North. Brule on Wednesday said the goal is to ease the traffic that could congest the area when EB eventually moves some of its growing workforce into the former mall. Electric Boat plans to use the former retail hub, which it acquired last year, for offices and training. It said this will open up more space for submarine manufacturing at its main facility in Groton. Brule said the state once planned to use the land to extend Route 11, which never made it past Salem. “The main piece of this idea (is to) give people another entrance and exit to the mall,” Brule said. DOT spokesperson Eva Zymaris said this week the agency has “received the request from the town, and an internal review is underway.” “No decision has been made,” Zymaris said, adding the department will share its response when it completes its review.
https://theday.com/news/925481/waterford-proposes-road-project-to-ease-future-eb-traffic/
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