On Monday morning, Aug. 4, officials from the town, region and state were in Wilton to formally mark the kick-off of CT’s Natural Gas Expansion Project, marked by Yankee Gas breaking ground in Wilton on the first community-partnered natural gas pipeline in the state, under the CT Comprehensive Energy Strategy.
Wilton’s first selectman Bill Brennan welcomed Gov. Dannel Malloy to an event celebrating the kickoff of construction of the pipeline, an effort for which Brennan spent the last three years working hard to make happen in town.
“We are delighted that we finally got this project done, and we got it done in a way that we’re very pleased. We have a very good agreement with Yankee Gas, it’s mutually beneficial. But the most important thing is that we are laying pipe right now, the project is underway. We’ve laid over 1,500 ft. of pipe in two days, and we’re off to a great start. We are the first community in the state of CT to get the gas expansion, that was a major accomplishment,” Brennan told GOOD Morning Wilton.
He called the Yankee Gas program “just another component” of Wilton’s energy strategy.
“We’ve been a leader for the last six or seven years. We’ve got the CEFIA program, we’ve won Clean Energy Awards, we’re a clean energy community. You take a look at these things [Ed. note, also Solar Purchasing Program, Neighbor-to-Neighbor Energy Challenge, C-PACE, and DEEP Energy Benchmark Program], collectively it adds up. This is just the last one, and one I had a personal objective to getting it done,” Brennan said.
The Governor acknowledge Brennan’s efforts in his remarks to the press.
“William Brennan, thank you very much for allowing us to participate in your celebration of your long-term efforts along with ours in bringing this to Wilton,” Malloy said. “Connecticut at about 31 percent penetration rate, is underserved by natural gas. That’s a big part of our energy cost difficulty here in the state of CT. Particularly when you consider natural gas has been anywhere from half the price down to one-third the price during some seasons. To not allow more people, more businesses, more municipalities in CT to participate in the use of cleaner, cheaper energy was quite unfair.”
Bruce Hampson, chair of Wilton’s Energy Commission echoed what many town officials said, that Brennan was really the motivator behind getting Wilton in on the ground floor of the project.
“[Brennan] was the man who made it happen. Bill Brennan never gave up on the opportunity, despite the incredible odds, the incredible resistance, and the incredible difficulties working toward a contract that would make sense for Yankee Gas and Wilton. It took him three-and-a-half years to do it, but he never gave up,” he said, adding, “This is simply a great day for Wilton. To save a significant amount of money on energy, and in addition to significantly lower pollution and carbon dioxide in the air. It really is a win-win for everyone, particularly for Wilton and the environment.”
In front of the microphones and the assembled press, as well as about 50 onlookers made up of town employees, and bystanders, the speakers–including the Governor, the first selectman, the chair/president/CEO of Northeast Utilities Tom May, Dept. of Energy and Environmental Protection commissioner Rob Klee and Yankee Gas President Rod Powell–spoke about what it took to make the project come to fruition and what benefits it will bring to Wilton and to other communities that take part.
DEEP Commissioner Klee thanked Brennan for “actively pursuing a positive energy vision for the future of [Wilton]. Wilton has really taken a comprehensive approach to clean energy, so my hat’s off to Wilton for those efforts. With towns like Wilton at our side, we’ve really been showing other states, and even the Federal government, what it takes to build a new energy future.”
He added that taking part in the Comprehensive Energy program and natural gas expansion, “will benefit this community greatly, when they have the availability of new, cheaper, cleaner natural gas. It is much less expensive than oil, it saves money on your heating bills, for homeowners. It brings down the operating costs of our businesses and our industrial activities, and makes them more competitive in a region where we are behind most of our region in the uptake and distribution of natural gas.”
Yankee Gas’ Powell pointed out the savings Wilton will likely enjoy after switching to gas.
“The conversion of Middlebrook and Cider Mill Schools, Wilton High School, the Comstock Community Center and the Town Library will estimate that the town will save up to $400,000 annually of just converting those particular facilities. It will also displace 5,000 barrels of oil annually and reduce carbon by 650 tons of CO2. It’s very very commendable for the town having the foresight to understand what this really means to its residents and businesses.”
He also said that the conversion to natural gas improves the town facilities’ energy emergency readiness.
Following the speeches, Malloy, Brennan and other officials signed their autographs on sections of pipe that will be laid in the ground as part of the pipeline.
Leave it to Malloy to take advantage of an initiative that Bill Brennan started and successfully concluded!!—-Another of Malloy’s tacks to imply it was through his efforts!! CONGRATULATIONS Bill Brennan!!