Residents, fire chief call for replacing bridge that connects Stonington and Ledyard 

Joe Wojtas  Stonington — A group of residents and Old Mystic Fire Department Chief Ken Richards are pressing town officials to replace the deteriorated Lantern Hill Road bridge instead of spending $68,750 for a temporary fix that would keep the bridge open for the next five to 10 years but prohibit large vehicles such as firetrucks from crossing it.

If nothing is done, the 71-year-old bridge over Whitford Brook would have to be closed to all traffic. A recent study rated it as being in the worst condition of the town's 22 bridges.  

Betsy Graham, the secretary of the Lantern Hill Valley Association, a neighborhood group, said Wednesday she has collected more than 300 signatures from residents and nearby businesses in Mystic calling for the replacement of the bridge, which connects Ledyard and Stonington.

As far back as 1989, a state Department of Transportation study called for replacing the bridge and improving the roads approaching it. 

"This is an obligation the towns have to their residents," Graham said about replacing the span. "If we wait five to 10 years for a solution, something else will happen and the costs will escalate."

It would cost about $800,000 to replace the bridge with the two towns splitting the cost. While Ledyard is in favor of funding a replacement, Stonington is not because of other capital projects it has to address. Stonington has agreed to split the $100,000 costs of a temporary repair with Ledyard, where that official decision is pending. Town Engineer Chris Greenlaw reported to the Stonington Board of Finance on Wednesday that the overall cost has increased to $137,450 due to the addition of engineering and inspection fees.    

Richards on Wednesday called the need to replace the bridge "a public safety issue." 

While there is just one Stonington home that the fire department would not be able to reach with the weight limit because the driveway is across the bridge in Ledyard, Richards said his department provides mutual aid to fires and serious accidents in Ledyard and its dive team responds to water rescues in Long Pond.

The weight limit will mean both Old Mystic and Ledyard departments would have to take a lengthy detour down Shewville and Indiantown roads to provide mutual aid. Richards said this could result in delays of up to 10 minutes. 

"That's a long time when your house is on fire," he said.

In the event of a life-threatening emergency, Richards said he would cross the span with his truck because both axles will not be on the bridge at the same time.

Richards and Graham pointed out that Lantern Hill Road is also a major thoroughfare for people and businesses needing to travel between Route 2 and Mystic.

"I can't believe they are even thinking of closing it down," Richards said about the weight limit for trucks.

In the Lantern Hill Valley Association's recent letter to Stonington First Selectwoman Danielle Chesebrough, Graham wrote, "We know you are aware of this bridge's societal importance to the over 150 homes in the Lantern Hill Valley area for EMS support, medical needs, and shopping in the SE coastal towns. Residents within this corridor live in Ledyard, North Stonington, and Stonington. Lantern Hill Rd serves as a crucial N-S corridor for commuters, recreation and tourists between the Route 2 corridor and towns of Groton, Mystic, and Stonington."

Ledyard Mayor Fred Allyn III could not be reached for comment Wednesday.

Meanwhile Graham and Stonington Board of Finance Chairman Tim O'Brien said state Sen. Cathy Osten, D-Sprague, who represents Ledyard, is seeking state and federal funding to help pay for the replacement. At Wednesday night's finance board meeting, O'Brien said efforts to do the temporary repairs will continue at the same time as those to obtain state and federal funding, because in six months the bridge would have to be closed if the funding does not materialize.      

Chesebrough said this week that "everyone wants a long-term solution but there isn't money right now." She added that the town's $400,000 share of the replacement would likely be more due to the need for an updated engineering study and escalating construction costs.

She pointed out the town already has cut $850,000 out of its proposed 2021-22 capital improvement budget of $4 million and "a lot more" needs to be cut. That total does not include millions in school projects. 

She said some items that the town is looking to fund in 2021-22 are body cameras for police, an additional $300,000 to complete sidewalk installation along Route 1 in Pawcatuck and HVAC improvements at Town Hall and the Human Services building. 

Construction set to begin on $20M W-Hartford mixed-use project

Sean Teehan  onstruction of a $20 million mixed-use retail/residential project on West Hartford's New Park Avenue is set to begin this month, with developers projecting a completion date of May, 2022.

Trout Brook Realty Advisors, the nonprofit development arm of the West Hartford Housing Authority, is set to break ground on the transit-oriented development project located on the 2-acre former Acme Auto Parts site nearby two stops on the CTfastrak rapid bus line.

Financing for the project comes from the federal Low Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC) via the Connecticut Finance Housing Authority (CHFA) and additional subordinate financing from the Connecticut Department of Housing (DOH). 

“West Hartford is committed to providing a variety of housing options for our residents and 540 New Park is just the latest example of a new, quality product that is financially accessible to our hardest working residents,” West Hartford Mayor Shari Cantor said. 

The 52 residential units will be offered to tenants on a mixed-income basis, according to Trout Brook. Forty one will be available to people whose income is 60% of the area's median income or less -- about $43,000 for individuals, or about $61,000 for a family of four. Eleven units will be offered at market rate.

Rent for one-bedroom units in affordable units will likely be about 1,150 per month, Trout Brook said, and two-bedroom affordable units will probably go for almost $1,400. Market rate one-bedroom units will probably go for just over $1,450 per month. 

The so-called 540 New Park community will complement a neighboring transit-oriented development Trout Brook completed two years ago known as 616 New Park. That $19-million development has 54 fully occupied living units on its three upper floors and ground-level retail space with a bicycle repair and retail store, coffee shop and fitness studio, officials say.

According to plans for 540 New Park, the modern-designed four-story building will include 27 two-bedroom and 25 one-bedroom units. Officials say the development will be marketed toward working-class Millennials. 

Most of the first floor will feature exterior glass meant to showcase activity in retail spaces, a lobby, and fitness and community rooms. Apartments will include high ceilings, large windows and open living-dining-kitchen areas.

An existing vacant 22,000-square-foot warehouse on-site will be razed at 540 New Park Ave. to make room for the apartment building.

Eyeing Obstacles, Dykes Offers Optimism for State’s Green Energy Goals

Brendan Crowley  “This goal of 100 percent, zero emissions resources is achievable, it’s feasible, and we’re already well on our way,” Department of Energy and Environmental Protection Commissioner Katie Dykes told CT Examiner in a recent interview. “The key is, how do we continue to make progress?”

The latest draft of Connecticut’s Integrated Resources Plan — a semi-annual assessment of the state’s electric supply needs and possible sources of energy supply — is being touted by the department as the first to identify sources of supply to meet the state’s goal of zero-carbon electric generation by 2040.

The plan highlights a variety of challenges and variables that the state could face in meeting that goal — chief among them, is a regional electric grid operator that Dykes says is out of step with the state’s goals.

That said, Dykes says she is optimistic that the state can meet its targets, an optimism that is also reflected in the Integrated Resources Plan. Already, 65 percent of the electric supply under contract is renewable or nuclear, and that will increase to 91 percent by 2025.

According to Dykes, Connecticut has already made a “tremendous amount of progress” towards achieving its 100 percent, zero-carbon electricity.

Dykes told CT Examiner that in past years, the state’s plan focused on the number of wind and solar energy projects that would need to be built to meet the state’s renewable targets, but now as progress is being made toward procuring that capacity, the department is instead taking a broader view of some of the outside forces that could affect the state’s path to carbon-free electric generation.

Latest plan takes major variables, like the future of Millstone Nuclear Power Station in Waterford, and models how much renewable power the state would need to procure, and when.

Whether Millstone continues to run after its ratepayer-subsidized state contract ends in 2029 also plays a major factor in Connecticut’s renewable energy goals, considering it meets about half of the state’s energy needs and is the largest zero-carbon generator in New England. The fate of Millstone is one of the biggest question marks, and it weighs heavily on the plan – referenced 130 times in the 173-page document. 

“Because Millstone is so large, the possibility of it shutting down will have big implications for the amount of new resources that we would need to substitute for it,” Dykes said. “Understanding what the future will be for nuclear power and other baseload resources like large-scale hydro power is going to be a question that has to get resolved.”

Another major variable is how increased electrification of technologies traditionally powered by fossil fuels — everything from vehicles to home heating systems — will affect electric demand. 

Despite advances in energy efficiency, the plan assumes that the state’s demand for electricity will increase by 2040, and more renewable generation will be needed to keep pace

“It also underscores why the 100 percent zero-carbon electric target is important, because the cleaner our electric supply is, the more emissions we reduce when we plug in a vehicle or heat our home with an air source heat pump,” Dykes said.

Those factors are significant, and discussed in detail in the resource plan. They’ll impact how much renewable generation the state builds out, how quickly it does so, and how much it will cost – but the department’s modeling doesn’t show a scenario where these factors will make it impossible for the state to meet those zero-carbon goals.

What could pose a barrier, Dykes said, is the regional grid operator, ISO-New England, which Dykes said isn’t compatible with the energy goals of the New England states it serves and that needs major changes to its infrastructure in order to integrate offshore wind and battery storage projects, and to keep up with increased electrification of everything from vehicles to home heating systems.

“It is not sustainable for us to continue to pay for, essentially, two different markets – the ISO-New England market that has embedded preferences for conventional fossil generation, and the market states have had to create to drive investment in clean energy resources that we need to clean our air and reduce carbon emissions,” Dykes said.

Market reform

A conversation about energy with Dykes will always come back to ISO-New England.

The regional market operator has ratepayers paying for natural gas plants in the name of reliability, without accounting for the generation from renewable sources that ratepayers are also paying for through state contracts, Dykes said. 

“Even setting carbon aside, you don’t need a carbon mandate to recognize the criticality of Millstone in a grid that has become dangerously dependent on one fuel – natural gas,” Dykes said. “Yet the ISO had no plan and no mechanism within their market to value that resource, even though their own studies demonstrated the grid was in danger of rolling blackouts if it were to retire.”

Dykes said the fact that Connecticut had to take on the entire burden of keeping Millstone open shows that the ISO market doesn’t even meet its primary goal of ensuring a reliable electric supply despite the investment it drives in natural gas.

“I don’t think it’s as simple as saying, ‘can we afford clean energy preferences on top of a conventional market that produces reliable generation, or reliable electric supply?’ – because we don’t even have that market today,” Dykes said.

Whether the market requires wholesale changes or smaller tweaks is a question a coalition of five New England states, including Connecticut, is looking to answer as part of a coordinated effort to reform the regional market the states claim is in conflict with their clean energy goals – but Dykes is clear that change is needed.

“We owe it to the ratepayers to ensure we have a market that works, not Band-aid fixes, solving for one problem, only to have to solve for the unintended consequences of that for other major resources,” Dykes said. “We have to look at this comprehensively.”

A regional grid needing upgrades

Along with ISO-New England’s market design, the coalition of states has taken issue with what they say is ISO’s lack of investment in regional infrastructure, despite per-mile transmission construction costs that are among the highest in the country, according to Dykes.

Dykes said the regional transmission system is a legacy network that was designed around fossil fuel plants. The system is not optimal for integrating big offshore wind projects, battery storage and behind-the-meter rooftop solar projects, all of which will be integral to a reliable, zero-carbon network, she said.

Dykes said the high transmission costs can be explained in part by a lack of competition in how transmission projects and repairs are selected at the regional level. Transmission planning also hasn’t been aligned with renewable energy goals, she said, leaving ratepayers paying for expensive transmission projects that don’t help integrate renewable resources.

“The result is that we’ll see a lot of what we call ‘spillage,’ where the transmission system is too constrained to be able to deliver all of the power being generated offshore,” Dykes said.

While already planned projects for offshore wind energy should be able to connect into the grid, Dykes warned that as offshore wind energy expands, ISO will need to make changes to the grid to accommodate them.

“It’s important for us to consider strategies for investments in transmission and changes to market rules for investments in things like storage, demand response and energy efficiency, that can keep the grid operating when the wind isn’t blowing and the sun isn’t shining,” Dykes said. “If we’re going to meet our goals 24/7, 365, and not just when the renewable resources are in operation.”

What does zero-carbon mean?

In the eyes of pro-renewable advocates, the department’s roadmap to zero-carbon electric generation is at odds with its recent approval of permits for natural gas plants – including a pipeline to feed a controversial gas-fired plant in Killingly, that would likely operate even after 2040 if it is built.

Dykes has said stopping the plant isn’t up to her department, and pointed to it as another example of how ISO-New England’s market supports natural gas despite state opposition. 

“That’s why we’ve been focused on reforming the ISO, that’s the entity that has that role of selecting resources we need for reliability,” she said.

Still, it’s clear that for Connecticut to technically achieve its zero-carbon electric supply, it does not need to eliminate carbon-generating sources of energy.

Because Connecticut shares an electric grid with the other New England states, the type of resources providing power in 2040 will be a reflection of the cumulative goals of those states, as well as the regional market operator. 

Connecticut is a net exporter of energy. More electricity is produced here than is used. So, the state can take credit for renewable resources within the state, while still sending energy out of state, and meet its zero carbon goals. By this calculation, zero-carbon means producing enough renewable energy to fully meet the state’s electric needs.

“It’s possible that in 2040 we could still have some fossil fuel generation operating, but that would be reflective of goals of states that are not Connecticut,” Dykes said.

How much fossil fuel generation is actually retired before 2040 depends on the variables outlined in the resource plan and how much of those baseload units is needed to balance intermittent resources like wind and solar, Dykes said. If Millstone continued operating through 2040, for example, the model shows more fossil fuel plants shutting down than if Millstone closes in 2029.

“When we think about the fossil resources we’re hosting in Connecticut, especially if you think about those resources that are located in environmental justice communities, those older resources that are emitting large quantities of air pollution, that’s what we have to consider,” Dykes said. “What is the path that will maximize retirements of those resources, not just preventing new things from being built, but being able to ensure that the oldest and most polluting resources are not going to be left online.”

Dykes pointed out that 5-10 years ago, nobody could have expected that the costs to build solar and offshore wind projects would decline as quickly as they have. Technologies in the energy sector continue to advance every day, she said. 

“It highlights the importance of doing these resource plans frequently, because as costs for resources like battery storage come down, we’ll be poised to adjust our strategies to take advantage of the lower cost,” she said.

Buttigieg DOT confirmation boosts hope for massive infrastructure investment

Chris Teale  

• Industry and elected leaders praised Pete Buttigieg's confirmation as Transportation Secretary after his nomination passed the U.S. Senate 86-13 on Tuesday.
• Buttigieg's confirmation could be a boon for investment in the nation’s infrastructure, which has been called for on a bipartisan basis for many years, according to experts.
• Several officials emphasized how Buttigieg's experience as mayor of South Bend, Indiana, will stand him in good stead at the Department of Transportation, especially as he knows the challenges local leaders face. "City leaders know these critical issues best," Los Angeles City Council President Pro Tempore Joe Buscaino said. "They know what's happening on the ground, and the work of Secretary Buttigieg reflects better the priorities of city leaders across this country."

I'm honored and humbled by today's vote in the Senate—and ready to get to work @USDOT.

— Pete Buttigieg (@PeteButtigieg) February 2, 2021

During his nomination hearing before the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation late last month, Buttigieg said the "time is now" for a massive infrastructure investment in a bid to jump-start the economic recovery from the coronavirus pandemic. And representatives of all political stripes pledged to work together on an infrastructure package, which was promised under President Trump but failed to materialize.

President Biden has made similar pledges about infrastructure. In a statement, Rep. Sam Graves, R-MO, Ranking Member on the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, said common ground between Buttigieg and Republicans in Congress includes the need to invest in rural infrastructure, needing to find a long-term funding solution for the Highway Trust Fund and moving projects ahead more efficiently. "I sincerely believe we can find common ground," Graves said.

Opponents of Buttigieg's nomination said local-level experience will not be enough to manage the DOT. "Fixing municipal potholes and managing bus routes in no way equates to what he will oversee at DOT," U.S. Sen. Roger Marshall, R-KS, said in a statement after his vote against the confirmation.

Buscaino, who is also the immediate past president of the National League of Cities, rejected that characterization. Local governments are much closer to the people that they serve, and their decisions have a much more immediate impact, he said.

"We are the heartbeat of America," Buscaino said. "[It's] happening not in Washington, DC. It's happening in cities across the country. We also need to realize that our nation is strongest when all levels of government work together to do what's best for our residents, constituents and businesses."

Buttigieg comes into USDOT with the agency facing the economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic and many transportation sectors calling for additional aid. In a letter to Congress on Monday, transit leaders called for an additional $39.3 billion in emergency funding. In a statement congratulating Buttigieg, the American Public Transportation Association reiterated that call "to help public transit agencies continue to provide a critical lifeline to essential workers and help our communities begin to rebuild our economy."

Infrastructure-focused groups including the American Society of Civil Engineers and the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials applauded the confirmation.

"No doubt that Secretary Buttigieg brings strong experience and the right leadership qualities to champion this approach as he leads the DOT," said Jean-Louis Briaud, ASCE president, in a statement emailed to Construction Dive. "As a former mayor, Secretary Buttigieg knows that these issues require consensus and bipartisan solutions, and he has seen firsthand how infrastructure policy and investment impact families, businesses, local economy and quality of life."