Connecticut receives high marks in promoting clean energy
(NECN: Brian Burnell, Hartford, Conn.) – Connecticut is doing a good job weening itself off oil. According to the Nonprofit Natural Resources Defense Council, Connecticut is number five in its survey of how states are doing in promoting clean energy and reducing dependence on foreign oil. Welcome to the roof of the Whole Foods Market in West Hartford center where the power of the sun is turned into the electricity for the lights. The new solar array provides all the juice to light the store. This is just the latest addition to Connecticut’s solar grid. Lise Dondy, CT Clean Energy Fund: “In 2005 there were 20 commercial systems out there and 83 residential systems and now, 4 years later, we have over 1,100 residential systems and over 140 commercial systems.” The Connecticut Clean Energy Fund helps pay for projects like this and Dondy says if they had more money to spend there would be even more solar power generated here. Lise Dondy, CT Clean Energy Fund: “There’s way more demand at this point than there is funding for such systems.” This is not new for Whole Foods. Their distribution center in Cheshire uses solar power. Another great thing about this for Whole Foods is they don’t have to worry about any of this equipment. It’s installed by an outfit called SunEdison. They own it, they operate it, they maintain it then they sell the power back to Whole Foods. Whole Foods is not all about solar. The Glastonbury store uses a fuel cell. Clean energy is something they think about for all their stores according to the company’s EcoCzar, Lee Kane. Lee Kane, Whole Foods EcoCzar: “The fuel cell was the very first in a supermarket ever so we really didn’t know what we were going to be seeing and in fact we’ve been just really thrilled with the results and so that’s something that we decided to carry over into a newest store in Dedham.” That store will also use solar power. And there’s more. Lee Kane, Whole Foods EcoCzar: “And I heard something about wind in Gloucester? That’s a project that we’ve been nutureing along for several years now. Its been, I think, very well received so far. Cautious optimism is the phrase that the folks in Gloucester would use which I think is very encouraging. It’s a project that would essentially take our seafood processing facility completely off the grid.” If people in Gloucester approve it that project could be finished by the end of next year.
