Connecticut, along with the rest of New England, has long recognized that its energy future lies in cleaning up the electricity sources in its power grid. The Trump administration has now made that a lot harder, if not impossible, to do, leaving Connecticut and the entire region with the question: Now what? Since his first day in office, Trump has set about eliminating future development of onshore and offshore wind on federal property, which effectively means all offshore wind, a form of renewable power Trump openly despises. So far, his administration has issued stop-work orders for two northeast offshore wind installations already under construction, including one for Connecticut. Each resumed construction after about a month, losing millions of dollars in the process. The state is urging residents, businesses, governmental entities and energy developers to take advantage of the tax credits before many of them disappear at the end of the year. To that end, DEEP issued an expedited request for proposals for solar and onshore wind. Proposals were due Oct. 10. Energy efficiency, especially useful to lower income and environmental justice communities, may feel the impact most acutely. Solar’s outlook is a little squishier than offshore wind’s. Yes, the coveted 30% tax credits are slated to disappear — for purchased residential systems at the end of this year and in another year for leased and commercial ones. But costs for solar have come down dramatically over time, making it one of the cheapest forms of power to purchase. It’s also the fastest to install. So it’s possible residential consumers and commercial investors will still consider it a cost effective option.
Why a CT lawmaker won’t accept that the feds ‘killed solar.’ But the state energy future is unclear
