Neither Red Nor Blue: Connecticut Was a Green State In 2006

A year-end review of green building and green business in Connecticut.

 

Much of the Connecticut news headlines were dominated this past year by the elections. Connecticut was watched by the nation as Senator Lieberman was challenged by Ned Lamont and two key congressional seats were at stake that could change the balance of power at the U.S. Capitol. Would Connecticut be seen as a red or blue state? We all know what happened in the end. But what was lost in all the hoopla of the elections was that several Connecticut based companies and economic development projects also gained some national attention for being leaders and models in the new, green economy.

 

This past year several green technology companies based in Connecticut gained international recognition for innovation and product design and are world class leaders in sustainability. And some building projects that are under way or completed here in the Nutmeg state have received national attention for their green attributes.

 

Last week, Tom Friedman in his column in the New York Times, discussed the new, green economy and 2006 like this, “I think that the most important thing to happen this past year was that living and thinking “green” hit Main Street.” And it’s very close to a tipping point. Connecticut is a driver in this new economy and is poised to play a larger role in 2007.

 

Here are some of the significant green events that happened in Connecticut in 2006.

 

January - The UCONN Foundation is, according to an article by Tom Breen of the Journal Inquirer, one of the first organizations of its kind to set up a special fund dedicated to environmentally friendly practices. The progress of the special fund is being watched by other universities across the country as they contemplate similar measures…. St. Paul Travelers, based here in Hartford, announces it will offer a 10 percent discount on car insurance to individuals who own hybrids.

 

February - Georgetown Land Development in Georgetown (Redding) CT, receives $72 million in tax exempt green building bonds for the renovation of the old Gilbert & Bennett Wire Mill project and the Georgetown Special Taxing District which will oversee the redevelopment project. The district is one of the first districts in the country to receive the designation as a qualified green building and sustainable design project by the U. S. Department of Treasury. The announcement gets national exposure.

 

April - Connecticut College ranks No.1 in the state when it comes to college campus recycling. They beat Wesleyan and Yale in the nationwide competition, RecycleMania 2006. The New London school also finished No. 1 in the New England Small Athletic Conference Schools and No. 5 out of 87 colleges and universities across the country....Rick Fedrizzi, President, CEO and Founding Chairman of The US Green Building Council Speaks at Yale.....Speaking at the Connecticut Forum, Thomas Friedman, author of The World is Flat says, "Green is the New Red, White and Blue."

 

May - Mortgage Lenders Network, USA (MLN) one of the fastest growing companies in Connecticut, along with the innovative developer Workstage, announced it will build new corporate digs in Wallingford. The 305,000 square-foot national headquarters will incorporate green building techniques and incorporate employee driven concepts and ideas. MLN will later do an national employee attitude survey regarding working in green buildings and the report makes the front page of USA Today.

 

July - BioPur Inc. a small business start up in Bethlehem will start to produce biodiesel later this month. The plant will produce 500,000 to 1.5 gallons of this alternative fuel annually. The company then plans to sell it to local distributors who will then sell it to both commercial and residential consumers here in Connecticut.

 

August – Two Hartford based United Technologies Divisions, UTC Power, based in South Windsor and UTRC in East Hartford announce the commissioning and start-up of the first geothermal power plant in Alaska. Chena Hot Springs, just outside Fairbanks, is the first geothermal power plant to come on-line in the state. It is also the site of the lowest temperature resource (165 F) ever used for commercial power generation in the world…. UCONN men’s football opens season with a green practice field. UCONN announces The Burton Men's Football Team Practice Facility is registered LEED Silver by the U.S. Green Building Council. It's the only athletic facility of its kind in the country to be LEED registered.

 

September - The Greater Hartford Transit District announced it has contracted with UTC Power of South Windsor, Conn., for the company and its partners to provide a 40-foot hybrid electric fuel cell-powered transit bus that will be used in revenue service. It will be the first in New England...Whole Foods Market, the world's leading retailer of natural and organic foods, announces it will use solar power for its distribution center in Cheshire. The 121-kilowatt solar photovoltaic (PV) rooftop system will be provide as much as 10 percent of the electric power that the building uses per year. The solar PV installation is the largest in the State of Connecticut.

 

October - At Bill Clinton’s Global Initiative held in New York City, Yale University announces that it would team with Ceres and Marsh, Inc. to educate hundreds of independent corporate board members about the potential liabilities and strategic business opportunities that global climate change can create for companies....Blackrock Realty, a joint venture between Westport-based Wittek Development and Rugby Realty Co. Inc. of Teterboro, NJ, is the developer of the Fairfield Metro Center which will create a sustainable transportation hub in this Fairfield County suburb has cleared a major hurdle and construction and the first phase of the $350-million project will begin in the Spring of 2007. Blackrock hopes to have the entire project qualify for the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Gold Level Certification issued by the US Green Building Council.

 

December - The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE: HIG), one of the nation’s largest financial services and insurance companies, announced the company plans to build a 450,000-square-foot campus in Windsor, Conn., for its Hartford Life operations. The new facility will house approximately 2,000 Hartford Life employees and incorporate sustainable design features...Greenwich-based National RE/Sources LLC is converting the former Perkin Elmer facility on Main Avenue in Norwalk into a green office park. The i.park Norwalk office complex will have a 300,000-square-foot main building that will be Class A office space and built to the U. S. Green Building Council’s LEED (leadership in energy and environmental design) certification standards and will include a green rooftop....Clean Energy-Cool Planet based in New Cannan has produced a first-of-its-kind report evaluating companies providing retail carbon offsets to consumers. The Consumers’ Guide to Retail Carbon Offset Providers is designed to help those trying to achieve carbon neutrality choose appropriate offset options. The Report receives national reviews.