Sustainability, Green Infrastructure Advance in CT
/When considering Connecticut’s progress in sustainability, green infrastructure, and green investments, a variety of statistics help to tell the story. Among them:
- The U.S. Department of Energy considers 13 percent of Connecticut’s electricity as coming from renewable resources, ranking the state 31st in the nation. The majority of the renewable power comes from biomass and hydropower, as reported in the Connecticut Green Guide (www.CTGReenGuide.com).
- Connecticut’s transportation sector employees more green workers than any other industry in the state, with 8,238 green jobs.
- In the Northeast, 76 percent of companies use at least one type of green technology or practice. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the most popular green methods are:
- Energy efficiency
- Waste reduction
- Conserving natural resources
- Reducing greenhouse gas emissions
- Removing pollutants from workspace
- Generating onsite renewable energy
- Connecticut Innovations, the state’s quasi-public investment firm, currently puts 6 percent of its portfolio into clean technology start-ups. Here’s the portfolio breakdown:
- Information technology 49.5%
- Bioscience 42%
- Clean tech 6%
- Photonics 2%
- Advanced materials & other .5%
- The U.S. Energy Information Agency reports that Connecticut ranks fifth in the nation among the states consuming the least amount of energy per capita. The top ten:
- Rhode Island
- New York
- Hawaii
- California
- Connecticut
- Massachusetts
- Arizona
- New Hampshire
- Florida
- Vermont
- Connecticut leads the New England states in demand response resources – businesses and facilities that power down when electric prices and demand spikes, according to data from ISO New England.
State Megawatts of Demand Response
Massachusetts 800.5
Maine 447
New Hampshire 183.2
Vermont 144
Rhode Island 140
Among the most common practices used by employers are asking employees to conserve, turn off or dimming lights, adjusting indoor temperature, and turning off equipment such as printers, copiers, and PCs). Other steps, used less often, include shutting down production, starting emergency generation, limiting the use of elevators and escalators, and shutting down an entire plant.