A
group of 11 leading environmental organizations in Connecticut released
a 16-page report Tuesday that makes recommendations for investing in
seven key areas that they say would create sustainable, high-paying
jobs while protecting the environment.
The report, “Green
Infrastructure Engine: Sustainable Development for Connecticut”
contends that protecting the environment and improving the state’s
economic fortunes are ideas that shouldn’t be mutually exclusive. The
groups participating in creating the report include Audubon
Connecticut, Connecticut Fund for the Environment, Environment
Connecticut, Environment Northeast and The Nature Conservancy.
“We
wanted to provide a blueprint for green economic recovery, to show how
we can be smart about policies as they are being developed,” said Chris
Phelps, program director for Environment Connecticut, a West Hartford
advocacy group. “We’re saying, ‘Let’s look at what we’re doing now and
figure out how we can do it better.’”
Among the recommendations contained in the report are:
- Spend
$86 million in capital investments and $25 million in operating funds
from the state to increase the number of commuter buses, particularly
those types that reduce emissions.
- Invest $2 million in the
state’s Community Farms Preservation Program, which works to acquire
development rights from willing farmers who might otherwise have to
sell their land to developers.
- Use $260 million in state
general obligation bonds to make improvements to wastewater treatment
plants, which would improve water quality in Long Island Sound.
- Ramp
up expenditures on energy-efficiency projects by slightly increasing
charges on utility ratepayers so that within a few years, the state is
spending $250 million a year on such programs.
- Create a
comprehensive program for the state over 10 years that would eliminate
the need for public funding to provide incentives for installation of
solar energy panels and create 370 megawatts of power coming from sun
statewide.
The benefits the state would reap from following the
plans put forth by the report include the creation of at least 11,500
new jobs and $257 million in direct savings to energy consumers.
“Connecticut
is home to thousands of green energy sector jobs, so with the right
investment and federal dollars, we can substantially grow those jobs
and ensure the state maintains its leadership position in the new
economy,” said Curt Johnson, senior staff attorney and program director
for Connecticut Fund for the Environment.
To see the full report, visit www.ctenvironment.org and click on the link “The Green Infrastructure Engine.”
Luther Turmelle can be reached at lturmelle@nhregister.com or 789-5706.
