Beyond Gas, Clean Energy & Climate

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Sierra Club is working with community and statewide partners to replace Hartford's Capitol Area System with a 100% renewable alternative. Learn more and add your name urging Gov. Lamont to commit to a 100% renewable replacement for the fossil gas energy plant and buildings it serves. On March 14, we hosted an online forum to share information about the campaign and to encourage letters to the editor about the need to lead by example and transition the system from fossil fuels to 100% clean energy. Contact Alycia for more information.

 

Compressor stations: The giant fossil fuel corporation Berkshire Hathaway Energy and TC Inc. (BHETC) is proposing to drastically increase the amount of gas it pushes through its 414 -mile long "Iroquois" fracked gas pipeline by expanding compressor stations in Connecticut and New York. The expansion applications are now before Connecticut's Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. On March 16, Sierra Club hosted a teach-in to share information, hear from NY and MA activists about their compressor station fights, and discuss the proposal with local activists. See presentation slides here. 

 

Air quality monitoring/citizen science: Since May 2021, Sierra Club members have been learning about air monitoring in Connecticut and have analyzed data from various sources. The team is now working on a paper on the topic, Stay tuned! For more information contact Martha.

 

DEEP is in the process of updating the Comprehensive Energy Strategy (CES), a guide for future energy decisions. Sierra Club is urging DEEP to draft a CES that stops expanding the use of fracked gas and starts decreasing all polluting fossil fuels, electrifies everything, prioritizes equity, and does not recommend false solutions. A draft CES is expected to be released for public comment soon.  

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Zero Waste

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Sierra Club Connecticut is working with allies led by CT Coalition for Environmental Justice to oppose trash incineration and to implement Zero Waste policies. From March 1 to March 15, Sierra Club hosted a Zero Waste Coalition display in the State Capitol concourse. The poster display highlighted waste reduction measures before the Connecticut General Assembly, and concerns with incineration and polluting “advanced recycling” facilities. In addition to the display, members of the Zero Waste Coalition were on site tabling and sharing information with legislators and other visitors. See more about it here. 

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Local Teams

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The West Hartford team is planning activities throughout 2023 to educate and mobilize the community around pollinator pathways, e-bikes, electric lawn equipment, solar canopies and more; read more here. On March 15, the team held a “West Hartford Climate and Environment Happenings” gathering at the Noah Webster Library featuring a presentation on solar canopies by Bernie Pelletier from People’s Action for Clean Energy (PACE). The Windsor Climate Action group is hosting a Sustainability Fair on April 29.  The Shoreline Group is planning a series of educational events throughout 2023 beginning on April 1 with “Regeneration and Growing – Ecologically Sensitive Gardening and Native Plants.”

 

Clean Transportation

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Sierra Club is working with allies to advocate for policies that promote car-free transportation, electric vehicles, electric vehicle charging, fleet transition, and more. Connecticut DEEP is poised to release regulations on Medium and Heavy Duty Trucks and Advance Clean Cars II. Both of these regulations have been authorized by the legislature to reduce emissions from the transportation sector and protect public health. Public comments will follow.

 

Land & Water

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Remington Woods: Sierra Club Connecticut’s Save Remington Woods campaign aims to protect Remington Woods from development and to be preserved in its entirety. Remington Woods is a 422 acre forest in Bridgeport and Stratford. Sign the petition to Save Remington Woods here.  Are you following Save Remington Woods on Facebook? Visit and see our latest posts.

 

Wildlife

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Wildlife: The Wildlife Committee is working to protect wildlife in our state through education and policy change. The committee produced this bear education flyer, and also designed these stickers to help raise awareness of how to coexist peacefully with bears. The Wildlife Committee is also working on raising awareness of the dangers of mowing hayfields on the local grassland bird population, including the Bobolink. 

 

Insure Our Future

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Insure Our Future: Banks, Asset Managers, and Insurance companies are all implicated in financing the fossil fuel industry. Here in Connecticut, Sierra Club is partnering with CCAG and the Insure Our Future campaign to urge the Connecticut insurance industry to stop investing in and underwriting fossil fuels.  On March 21, Sierra Club and CCAG joined Third Act to rally outside Bank of America in Hartford calling on the Bank to divest from fossil fuels. In Washington D.C., Sierra Club president Ben Jealous joined First Act founder Bill McKibben to lead the anchor event for the action.

 

Legislative Session

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The 2023 session began on Wednesday, January 4, 2023, and your Sierra Club was at the Capitol to share information on our priorities for 2023. The Legislative Committee has met with dozens of legislators for briefings on the priorities. See priorities and bills we are tracking here. The Committee meets every Monday at 7 pm. Contact Art Helmus, Legislative Chair, for more information.