Airports and environmentalists push for community solar projects

A solar array developed by Clean Energy Collective, in Westport, Mass. A solar array developed by Clean Energy Collective, in Westport, Mass. Photo: David Souza/The Herald News / Contributed Photo Photo: David Souza/The Herald News / Contributed Photo Image 1 of / 3 Caption Close Airports and environmentalists push for community solar projects 1 / 3 Back to Gallery

HARTFORD — Next to new jets, Tweed New Haven Regional Airport envisions a long line of solar panels gleaming on its grounds.

The project could be one of many future community solar projects in Connecticut, advocates and some legislators hope.

“In Connecticut, community solar can provide residents and businesses, the majority of whom cannot host a solar project, affordable, reliable, and clean solar energy for the first time,” Jeff Cramer, executive director of the Coalition of Community Solar Access, testified before the legislative Energy and Technology Committee Tuesday.

The Committee is considering two bills concerning community solar projects. Unlike residential solar panels which might provide electricity to one home, community solar projects are large areas of solar panels that individuals can subscribe to receive energy from. Subscribers might be people who are low-income, or live in apartment buildings or shady areas, who want to support clean energy but cannot install their own panels.

One bill charges the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, along with Connecticut Green Bank, with establishing a statewide shared clean energy program that would support projects like community solar. DEEP is already working with three community solar projects in Bloomfield, Shelton and Thompson, Connecticut as part of pilot program, and voiced its support for community solar in testimony.

The second bill would allow such shared solar projects at municipal airports, like Tweed.

Advocates touted the economic benefits that community solar would bring to Connecticut by creating jobs, bringing energy investment to the state and allowing residents to save on energy costs.

“Shared solar catalyzes significant private investment in the state, its workforce, and the grid,” testified Christopher Gilrein, policy and regulatory manager for the Clean Energy Collective. “Each Megawatt of community solar capacity built generates approximately $2 million in direct investment in the local economy.”

Eversource, New England’s largest energy provider, said it opposed the statewide community shared clean energy bill. It argued for more time to study the pilot program. It also claimed community solar projects would be more expensive than other solar projects selected by DEEP and allowed by state statutes.

The Office of Consumer Council raised concerns, too. It recognized community solar has had some successes in states like Massachusetts, California and Minnesota, but said it might be an unwise choice in Connecticut, due to cost.

“Where community solar projects are more expensive than rooftop projects despite the economies of scale, the case for supporting community solar essentially evaporates,” testified Elin Katz, commissioner of OCC. “Being pro-clean energy requires getting the maximum clean energy for each dollar expended.”

In New Haven, support for community solar at Tweed Airport is two-fold. The Tweed New Haven Airport Authority, the Greater New Haven Chamber of Commerce and Yale University gave nod to the environmental and economic benefits of community solar.

Officials from these organizations spent most of their time talking about a tiny subsection of the solar municipal airport bill, however: a single line that would strike down the statutory 5,600 foot limit on Tweed’s runway length. Expanding the runway would allowed bigger planes to land there.

“The proposed runway expansion would bring in more airlines, destinations and non-stop flights for both business and leisure travel for the 4 million passengers who live closer to Tweed than any other airport,” said Garrett Sheehan, president of the Greater New Haven Chamber of Commerce.

Richard Jacob, associate vice president for Federal and State Relations at Yale University, cited a lack of transportation in New Haven as a big reason why businesses and graduate students are not staying in Connecticut.

The Energy and Technology Committee has until March 29 to vote on the two bills, which would subsequently need to gain support in the General Assembly.