Wilton Bulletin
Wilton selectmen agree to go green, sign on to 20% by 2010 campaign

Dec 20, 2007

Clean energy has been a topic of conversation in Wilton for several months now, and the Board of Selectmen Monday night made a move toward making the town’s energy use more planet-friendly within the next three years.

The board unanimously approved a resolution pledging the town to get 20% of its energy from clean sources by 2010. With that promise, Mike Lindberg, chair of the Energy Commission, said Wilton would become a “clean energy community” by the standards of the Connecticut Clean Energy Fund and would then qualify for a 2 kW solar array and an educational grant.

There are already 61 municipalities in the state that have made the pledge, including nearby Redding, Ridgefield, Weston, and Westport. For every 100 households that sign up to receive clean energy through the CTCleanEnergyOptions program, the town will receive a free 2 kW solar array from the Connecticut Clean Energy Fund.

In addition, major businesses that sign up may allow the town to be eligible for a solar array as well.

As of Monday, 120 homeowners have signed up for program, said Mr. Lindberg. The program allows households to opt to have 50% or 100% of their energy come from clean energy sources rather than fossil fuels.

While the power that program participants use does not directly come from clean energy sources, clean energy is put into the power grid in an amount equal to the energy the participant uses.

Selectman Hal Clark asked if Mr. Lindberg was confident in the record-keeping of the fund. He mentioned Keri Enright of SmartPower, a nonprofit marketing campaign supporting clean energy, told the selectmen in March that 120 households had signed up for the program at that point.

“We have shared the concerns with record-keeping with the CCEF,” said Mr. Lindberg, noting that it was the Energy Commission’s responsibility to “monitor and audit” the record-keeping.

In addition to the solar array, the town now qualifies for a $5,000 grant from the clean energy fund to educate students about clean energy.

Mr. Lindberg said other communities have 10% of their households signed up for the program.

“That’s our goal by next year,” said Mr. Lindberg. The 120 households that have signed up represent roughly 2% of Wilton households.

The cost of the program will vary for each year as the town phases in the clean energy. In 2007, with 3% of the town’s energy coming from clean sources, the cost of the program can be expected to be in the $3,000 range, according to the clean energy fund. By 2010, with 13% of the town’s power coming from clean sources, the cost would be in the $13,000 to $14,000 range.

Mr. Lindberg said in an interview Tuesday that 7% of power in the state already comes from clean sources, so that if by 2010 the town receives 13% from clean sources itself it will be at the 20% mark.

Mr. Clark said he was concerned about “an awful lot of scams out there” where companies claiming to provide clean energy have swindled their customers. Mr. Lindberg said he was confident in at least two providers of clean energy, Sterling Planet and Community Energy.

“Both of those have opened their books for our inspection,” said Mr. Lindberg. He said other options would also be explored, but he would work to ensure he was confident the ultimate option chosen would be providing clean energy, even in the face of growing demand.

First Selectman William Brennan asked where Mr. Lindberg would suggest the 2 kW solar array go, and Mr. Lindberg said while that was up to the selectmen, he would advise putting it on the top of the high school.

According to Ron French, an energy commissioner, the array can be expected to have a 25-year life span and produce $12,500 worth over its life span, Mr. Lindberg said.

Selectmen reaction

The selectmen said they were in favor of the program, and thanked the energy commission for its work in creating a sound recommendation in support of it.

“I think by taking initiatives like this, it’ll bring much-needed attention to the subject” of clean energy, Selectman Richard Creeth said.

Selectman Ted Hoffstatter called it “an investment for the future” and Second Selectman Susan Bruschi said, “It makes me feel a lot better knowing Mike and the Energy Commission have looked into this.”

When Ms. Enright first made her presentation to the selectmen in favor of the proposal, Mr. Clark said he had been skeptical that the pledge would just be a “nice gesture.”

“I wasn’t terribly interested in nice gestures, to be honest with you,” said Mr. Clark. But because of the Energy Commission’s work, he had been convinced “this is a good investment.”

“If we don’t take the leadership in this, frankly we’re failing,” said Mr. Clark.

Mr. Brennan said the town should be an example to Wilton residents so that they will sign up for the CTCleanEnergyOptions program.

“This is a very small percentage of additional cost for a very worthy objective,” said Mr. Brennan.

“There’s no penalty if we don’t make the 20% either, so it’s a best effort,” he added.

Mr. Clark said he remained concerned about “a limited supply overwhelmed by a wonderful demand” for clean energy.

Joseph Dolan, chief financial officer for the town, asked Mr. Lindberg how the pledge would work in terms of the current obligations to TransCanada, the company that supplies power to the town.

“We’ll find a willing and almost supportive partner in what we’re trying to achieve,” said Mr. Lindberg of TransCanada. He said Tuesday that Westport has a contract with TransCanada and is still a part of the program, and he thought it would be inappropriate to talk about contract issues until the selectmen agreed to the pledge.

TransCanada does supply 30% of its power from hydroelectric sources, but that power doesn’t count as “Class 1 renewable energy,” Mr. Lindberg said, because it’s high-impact hydroelectric. Class 1 renewable energy is the type needed to qualify for the 20% by 2010 program; solar, low-impact hydroelectric and other renewable sources would fall under that classification, he said.


© Copyright 2007 by Hersam Acorn Newspapers