HARTFORD - State Sen. Joseph J. Crisco, Jr. , D-Woodbridge, today welcomed news from
Gov. Dannel P. Malloy that the Town of Woodbridge has been awarded a state grant to complete a town center microgrid to keep critically important town buildings operational during widespread power outages.
Gov. Dannel P. Malloy that the Town of Woodbridge has been awarded a state grant to complete a town center microgrid to keep critically important town buildings operational during widespread power outages.
The
funding is available through a pilot program enacted last year meant to
shore up the state’s preparedness for and response to extreme weather
events, Crisco said.
A total of $18 million will be distributed
to nine qualifying communities; Woodbridge will receive a grant worth $3
million.
“Woodbridge
was selected for this program because town officials had the foresight
to have natural gas service installed recently for town hall and the
public works facility, the police
station, fire headquarters, and high school, and because all those
facilities are concentrated near the center of town,” Crisco said.
“Once the town’s microgrid is built, a 1.6
megawatt natural gas turbine and a 400 kilowatt fuel cell, using fuel
available through the new gas lines, will generate power for the town’s
essential functions when the large-scale electric
grid fails.”
“Microgrids play a major role in our efforts to modernize and harden our infrastructure to withstand severe weather,” Malloy said. “These projects will help protect residents and
vital public services even when the power goes out, and in doing so
allow us to provide critical services during times of emergency. Over
the next two years, I’ve recommended an additional
$30 million in funding for the state’s microgrid program to strengthen
more Connecticut communities.”
“This is very exciting news for Woodbridge,” said
Woodbridge First Selectman Ellen Scalettar. “All of our residents
will be the beneficiaries of this new, cutting edge technology.
Distributed generation will provide reliable energy during emergencies
for our critical facilities, including the Police
Department, the Senior Center and Amity High School.”
According to the state Department of
Energy and Environmental Protection, 36 cities and towns
originally submitted proposals for microgrid concepts.
After detailed
feasibility studies, 27 of the 36 moved on to a final
round of assessment last winter.
The nine pilot projects to be awarded
funds were announced today.
This is a press release from Crisco's office.
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