A proposal to study how large-scale data centers might affect the reliability of the state’s electric grid is drawing opposition from those who say it would delay critical development. The legislation would require the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority to conduct the evaluation with the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, the Office of Consumer Counsel and ISO-New England, the nonprofit corporation that manages the region’s power grid. It calls for the effort to be completed by July 1 of this year. Leaders with DEEP and the state’s Department of Economic and Community Development took opposing stances on the measure. Since the incentive was signed, a small number of developers have taken initial steps to begin data center construction in a few Connecticut towns. One major project — a hyperscale, 300-megawatt development on the site of the Millstone nuclear power station in Waterford — is closest to breaking ground. The developer behind that project, NE Edge, signed what’s known as a “host fee agreement” with the town last March, promising to pay a fee of $231 million over 30 years in lieu of property taxes, as provided for in the 2021 legislation.

https://www.theday.com/state/20240310/legislature-seeks-data-center-study-concerns-raised-over-delays/

Come 2025, Westport should get a new bridge over Sasco Creek. The current bridge, which was built around 1965, starts at the intersection of Old Road and Wakeman Lane and has fallen into disrepair, the state Department of Transportation has determined. The bridge work could start in spring 2025, Wilberg said, and will take until about that November. With Planning and Zoning on board, the approvals will be sent to the state and Fairfield’s design engineers, and then will need CTDOT and Army Corps of Engineer approvals. Cost of the project is set about $3 million, with 80 percent paid by the state and 20 percent shared by Westport and Fairfield, Wilberg said. Fairfield may pay more than 10 percent since their population is greater than Westport’s.

https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/westport/article/westpor-fairfield-sasco-creek-bridge-replacement-18704668.php

People from rural towns across the state with concerns that the Connecticut Siting Council has legal jurisdiction over the location of solar power facilities, rather than the municipalities, are hoping new legislation could give them more control of their land. Of particular interest to many who testified is HB 5361, which would give municipalities the opportunity for local control if that town was within a five-mile radius of a project greater than 100 megawatts. “The Siting Council has a very important task to do and, to some degree, needs autonomy to do that work,” said Sen. Tony Hwang, R-Fairfield. “Nevertheless, the composition and expertise of the council is important to provide more accountability, transparency, and a better decision-making process with checks and balances.”

https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/journalinquirer/article/ct-siting-council-renewable-energy-solar-farms-18709245.php

Both the East Norwalk Train Station and a section of East Avenue will be closed for three weeks starting Monday due to construction work related to the Walk Bridge replacement project. The East Norwalk improvements are part of the $1 billion project to replace the 128-year-old Walk Bridge that connects millions of people to the Northeast train corridor. As a part of the work, East Norwalk will have a new train station along with other rail improvements that will cut travel time down on the New Haven Line of Metro-North.

https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/article/east-norwalk-train-station-east-avenue-closed-18749530.php

An advanced fuel cell array that could turbo-charge future manufacturing in New Britain is in its final stages of testing and could hook up to the power grid as soon as May, according to city officials. The 67-fuel cell array — installed outdoors in a dilapidated section of the Stanley Works complex at 600 Myrtle St. — awaits final testing and approvals. Once the $80 million project gets the green light, the fuel cells will power up to supply up to 20 megawatts of electricity to the larger power grid, said Jack Benjamin, New Britain’s director of planning and development. For the City of New Britain, the project is expected to complement the recent surge in housing development in the downtown, which is an easy walking distance from Stanley Works, Benjamin said.

https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/business/article/new-britain-ct-fuel-cells-stanley-works-18756860.php

A developer picked by the town of East Hartford for the tricky redevelopment of a historic, but rundown downtown building into a modern 24-unit apartment building can now access $760,000 in state grant funds. East Hartford’s Town Council, on Tuesday, unanimously agreed to grant access to those funds to developer Parker Benjamin – who was selected as a development partner on the project last year. The Unionville-based developer specializes in adaptive reuse. “Church Corners, historically, was an integral part of downtown East Hartford,” Town Council Chair Richard Kehoe told the Hartford Business Journal Wednesday. “This new project will restore Church Corners to its former glory and is a harbinger of what we hope will also occur with downtown East Hartford.”

East Hartford makes $760,000 in state funds available to Church Corners redevelopment

The Board of Selectmen on Tuesday approved spending $306,650 to hire a program manager who will oversee the construction of the new Oswegatchie firehouse. Downes Construction Co. of New Britain will develop bids, review construction drawings, assist in the selection of the building contractor and oversee the day-to-day construction while reporting back to the building committee. The building committee interviewed three candidates for the job before voting 5-2 to select Downes Construction, Tuneski said. Asked by First Selectman Rob Brule about the project’s impact on taxpayers, Tuneski said constructing a new building is only one of the options.

https://www.theday.com/local-news/20240305/waterford-selectmen-approve-hiring-of-manager-to-oversee-firehouse-project/

A Republican legislator who also runs a small electrical company wants to reduce the state’s apprenticeship hiring ratio, which supporters say would help bolster Connecticut’s trade industry workforce. The state Department of Consumer Protection imposes a so-called “hiring ratio” on contracting companies in electrical, plumbing and metal-working trades. The rule is a bit technical, but it essentially requires contractors to have a certain number of licensed journeymen on staff for each apprentice they hire. “Strong licensing standards don’t just benefit union contractors and union workers, they benefit non-union employers, they benefit non-union workers, they benefit the whole industry,” said Kimberly Glassman, director of the Foundation for Fair Contracting of Connecticut, a private nonprofit that promotes and protects prevailing wage standards on federal, state and municipal public works projects.

Trade industries push for apprenticeship hiring ratio reform

here have been at least 1,800 complaints each year since 2019. Meanwhile, the unit’s staff has dropped. Ten years ago, in 2014, there were 42 staff members, including 31 wage enforcement agents and wage and hour investigators combined. This year, 30 total staff members remain, with 21 agents or investigators. The rest of the staff is clerical or managerial. The investigators are part of a specialized unit known as the Wage and Workplace Standards Division. A proposal this year could require the number of investigators to increase. The struggle over passing the bill deals with the cost of hiring additional staff and whether there’s space in the budget. Currently, most of the investigator positions are funded by the state’s general fund, but some positions are funded from the civil penalties the investigators impose on guilty businesses, which range anywhere from $300 to $1,000, depending on the violations.

CT’s wage-theft investigators facing growing backlog of cases

United Rentals, the world’s largest equipment-rental company, announced this week that it agreed to acquire construction company Yak Access for about $1.1 billion from private equity firm Platinum Equity. The products and services of Hattiesburg, Mississippi-based Yak include approximately 600,000 hardwood, softwood and composite mats; temporary and permanent access roads; site evaluation; design and installation of access plans; and mat removal and logistics. The transaction is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2024; the first quarter ends on March 31.

https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/business/article/united-rentals-acquire-yak-access-18704871.php