Survey Says: Parents Don't Trust On-line Doctor Ratings, But Use Them

As the annual observance of National Doctors’ Day approaches this week, a new national survey indicates that nearly one-third (30%) of parents report looking at online doctor ratings for themselves or a family member in the past year, with mothers (36%) more likely than fathers (22%) to visit such sites. Among these parents, two-thirds say they selected or avoided a doctor based on the ratings they viewed. Among parents who choose doctors based on the ratings, most (87%) say the online ratings accurately reflect their experience with the doctor. The survey was conducted for C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital at the University of Michigan.

The survey also found, however, that a majority of parents have concerns about doctor rating websites in general. About two-thirds of parents believe some ratings may be fake; slightly fewer feel there are not enough ratings on the websites to make a good decision. More than half of parents feel doctors may influence who leaves ratings. Among parents in this survey who had ever left an online rating about a doctor (11% overall), nearly one-third (30%) reported that the doctor or office staff had asked them to do so.

National Doctors’ Day was established to recognize physicians, their work, and their contributions to society and the community. National Doctors’ Day is observed on March 30 each year.  The holiday was officially signed into U.S. law in the early 1990s by President George H. W. Bush, although since the early 1930s patients and healthcare organizations across the country have been celebrating their physicians on this day.

In the on-line ratings survey, older parents generally had more concerns than younger parents. Of parents age 30 and older, 71 percent were concerned about the possibility of fake reviews compared to 59 percent of parents under age 30. Older parents (65%) also were more concerned about the low number of ratings compared to younger parents (55%).

The survey analysis pointed out that “while the use of online physician rating sites is expected to keep rising, their growth may be limited by concerns from parents about accuracy and authenticity.”

In recognition of National Doctors’ Day, Connecticut Children’s Medical Center in Hartford has urged patients to post a message to their doctor, and many of the messages have been displayed on the hospital’s web site.  Other organizations around the state also take note of the contributions of physicians to the well-being of the population.

Most Expensive State for Car Insurance? Michigan Ranks First, CT is 17th

The most expensive car insurance rates in the nation are in Michigan.  Connecticut ranks 17^th.   It is the third consecutive year that Michigan has topped the list. Connecticut’s average of $1,367 is 3 percent above the national average of $1,325.  The average rate in Connecticut jumped by 24 percent from 2015 to 2016, according to the survey.  The Connecticut data was compiled in February.  Among the New England states, Rhode Island was ranked tenth, averaging $1,608, Massachusetts ranked 21^st at $1,325. Maine had the lowest rates, at $808 annually.

Insure.com’s 2016 state-by-state comparison of auto insurance premiums found that Montana captured the No. 2 spot for the second year in a row. New Jersey broke into the top five for the first time ever, Louisiana was No. 4, and Oklahoma rounded out the top five.

On the flipside of the cost coin, Maine led the way for the cheapest car insurance in the country. Maine has been in the top three for the least expensive car insurance for all six years of the study, according to insure.com. This year, Ohio came in No. 2, Wisconsin was three, Idaho took fourth, and New Hampshire earned No. 5.

The annual study compiles rates from six large insurance carriers in 10 ZIP codes in every state. Rates were for the same full-coverage policy for the same driver -- a 40-year-old man with a clean driving record and good credit. The rates are an average for the 20 best-selling vehicles in the U.S. in order to present more accurate rates for the average driver – without high-end sports or luxury cars skewing the data. Each model was rated on its cheapest-to-insure trim level.

The national average for a full-coverage policy as featured in the Insure.com report came in at $1,325 this year – a slight increase from last year’s average of $1,311. Rates varied from a low of $808 a year in Maine to a budget-busting $2,738 in Michigan. Insurance rates in Michigan are more than double (107 percent) the national average.

Insurance rates are influenced by a number of different factors. Everything from traffic, crime rates, state and local laws, the percentage of uninsured drivers, as well as the number of insurance companies competing in a market can all result in higher or lower insurance premiums in your state.

Insure.com commissioned Quadrant Information Services to calculate auto insurance rates from six large carriers (Allstate, Farmers, GEICO, Nationwide, Progressive and State Farm) in 10 ZIP codes per state. Insure.com averaged rates in each state for the cheapest-to-insure 2016 model-year versions of America’s 20 best-selling vehicles and ranked each state by that average. Rates are for comparative purposes only within the same model year.

CT is Nation’s 5th Most Innovative State, Ranks 4th in Productivity

Massachusetts is the nation’s most innovative state, with California scoring a close second and Washington, New Jersey and Connecticut rounding out the top five states, according to The Bloomberg U.S. Innovation Index, in findings that highlighted the connections between education, research and innovation. "There are some things that state governments can do to make their states more attractive to research and development," including R&D tax credits, Nariman Behravesh, chief economist at IHS Inc. in Lexington, Massachusetts told Governing magazine. "State governments — if they carefully target areas where they think they have a bit of a competitive advantage — they could develop a cluster around their universities, as well."

Bloomberg scored each of the 50 states on a 0-100 scale across six equally weighted metrics: R&D intensity; productivity; high-tech density; concentration of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) employment; science and engineering degree holders; and patent activity.

Mississippi, West Virginia and South Dakota are the three least innovative states.

Reviewing Connecticut rankings by category, the state ranked 4^th in productivity, 8th in R&D intensity, 10^th in science & engineering degree holders, 11^th in patent activity, 13^th in STEM concentration and 22^nd in high-tech intensity. 

Rounding out the top 10 most innovative states were Oregon, Maryland, Colorado, Delaware and Minnesota.  Among the other New England states, New Hampshire ranked 12^th, Rhode Island was 14^th, Vermont ranked 25^th, Maine finished near the bottom at number 43.

The data analyzed by Bloomberg came from the Bureau of Economic Analysis, Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Science Foundation, StatsAmerica.org and the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

University of Hartford Students Develop First-of-Its Kind Prosthetic Hand, Patient Testing To Begin

Five graduate students and their professor in the Prosthetics and Orthotics program at the University of Hartford have reached a significant milestone in the development of a first-of-its-kind prosthetic hand. The prototype of the potentially revolutionary device, after more than two years in development, is now ready to be tested on patients. Currently, amputees have a limited selection of sizes and designs for a prosthetic hand. The groundbreaking project, which has come to be known as the “Hartford Hand,” has a unique design that allows each patient to receive a custom-made hand that fits his or her exact needs. Because of the students’ technological ingenuity, the hand can be adjusted as the patient grows.

“It is the only hand at this time known to be completely customizable in terms of size and proportion,” said faculty advisor Michael Wininger, Assistant Professor of Prosthetics and Orthotics. (see video, below)

The five graduate students, due to graduate from the program in May, have spent thousands of hours on this project since 2013, with the goal of making the world’s first prosthetic hand that can be fully customized to patients’ needs. The students have joined the project through many pathways, either as part of their formal requirements for research in their master’s curriculum, though undergraduate honors theses, elective Independent study enterprise, or as extra-curricular collaborators in a not-for-credit research immersion.

“This has been one the best opportunities I have had in my life to design,” said Christopher Welch, one of the students currently working on the Hartford Hand initiative. Each week, Welch and colleagues Yonathan Moshayev, Jake Green, Amber Sayer, and Stephen Sousa, spend several hours improving the current design to make the unique Hartford Hand a reality for patients.

The University of Hartford’s College of Education, Nursing and Health Professions collaborates with Hanger Clinic to offer the Master of Science in Prosthetics and Orthotics (MSPO). It is one of only 13 accredited programs in the United States. The curriculum provides students with strong foundational coursework in biomechanics, neuroscience, and kinesiology.

More than a great learning experience, the project has the potential to change lives as it prepares students for future career success. “They have more training than any other students in the country,” Wininger said, “which makes them competitive for their residencies. This is a good chance for students to train on cutting-edge technology.”

Two of the students presented the Hartford Hand at a national conference in San Antonio, Texas last year. “We were able to get professional feedback and network with people in our field,” said Sousa. Welch adds that everyone they talked with confirmed that there is a huge need for this hand. Both of them are planning to use the skills they have learned with this project to work in clinics after they graduate. “I am very grateful to have had this opportunity,” Sousa said. “I could not imagine a program without this great experience.” Previous students have presented at national conferences in Las Vegas, and have entered the Hartford Hand design into national engineering design competitions.

Wininger indicated that he anticipated tests with human subjects would begin by the end of the University’s spring semester.

The professions of prosthetics and orthotics are specialized allied health professions which combine a unique blend of clinical and technical skills. Professionals in this field design, fabricate, and fit orthopedic braces and artificial limbs for a broad range of clients from pediatric to geriatric.

PHOTO (at right): Yonatan Moshayev, Jake Green, Christopher Welch, Amber Sayer, Steve Sousa, and Assistant Professor Michael Wininger.

https://youtu.be/uxyeoi3G9ks

Head Impacts in Lacrosse Subject of Closely Watched Study at Sacred Heart University

With heightened focus in recent years on the ramifications of concussions on the careers and lives of athletes – especially professional football players – research is gaining interest and attention in a range of contact sports. The recent release of the popular movie Concussion has pushed awareness and interest even further – along with the appetite for scientific research. In Connecticut, Sacred Heart University (SHU) is underway with poised to start the third year of a four-year study of the school’s men’s lacrosse team, which will be among the first comprehensive studies looking at head impact and concussions in the sport at the college level. U.S. Lacrosse, the sport’s governing body, provided the SHU athletic-training education program a $15,000 grant to study the effects of on-the-field head impacts. The 2016 season began on February 13 and runs through April 30.

The SHU study got underway in January 2014 and was initially focused on freshmen players.  It has continued to monitor the same athletes as they progress through their four-year lacrosse career.  The goal is to gain a better understanding of concussions in the sport and ultimately generate insights for safer play.

Theresa Miyashita, director and assistant professor for the athletic training education program, launched the accelerometer concussion study at the University. The research involves the use of accelerometers in the team’s helmets. These sensors detect the amount of impact (in Gs or standard gravity acceleration) a player receives when he gets hit by a ball, a stick, another player or hits the ground.

“We are one of the first in the country to embark on an accelerometer concussion study of this size in men’s lacrosse,” said Miyashita. “We are collaborating with Professor Michael Higgins at Towson University, who is conducting a similar study to compare impacts on different helmets (Cascade vs. Warrior). This research targets the fastest-growing team sport in America.”

The players have been wearing these sensors in their helmets for the entire season – both in practices and games. The information received from the sensors is then uploaded to see the number of impacts sustained, where the impacts were sustained and the amount of Gs each impact had. This data is then compared to a number of different variables such as neurocognitive function, modified IQ scores, depression/anxiety, alcohol/drug dependency screens and concussion injuries. The players were baseline tested and are given a post-test when each season is complete.

The study is being done in partnership with a Canadian company, GForceTracker, which has developed “an advanced athlete monitoring system used to collect, measure, and analyze head impacts & biometric performance data, all in real time.” The company produces a “Hit Count® Certified, advanced linear g-force and rotational impact sensor monitoring system that accumulates a lifetime of head impacts.”

The detection device monitors, measures and provides vital statistics such as number of impacts, severity of impacts, local alarming when the impact exceeds an acceptable threshold and accumulates this data to provide key metrics that determine whether its user has suffered a possible head injury.  The GFT is currently the only Hit Count® Certified head impact sensor on the market, the company’s website indicates, “and can be used by individual players or entire teams in both helmeted and non-helmeted sports.”

“The men’s lacrosse team and their coach, John Basti, have been huge supporters and have been instrumental in getting this project running,” Miyashita said. “This project would not be possible without them and the rest of my research team.”

Miyashita’s team consists of Professor Eleni Diakogeorgiou; Kaitlyn Marrie, staff member for the athletic training program; Mary Jo Mason from the Health and Wellness Center, Professor Kelly Copperthite and a number of her athletic training students.  The Fairfield County Business Journal recently reported that Miyashita’s husband is a former professional player who is now assistant coach of the SHU men’s team.

Sacred Heart University, with a student population of 6,400, is the second-largest independent Catholic university in New England, offering more than 50 undergraduate, graduate and doctoral programs on its main campus in Fairfield.  The SHU Pioneers' men's lacrosse team competes in the Northeast Conference of the NCAA Division 1.

https://youtu.be/TewBxtexNjE

Eight CT Companies Among the Fastest Growing Tech Companies in North America

The Technology Fast 500 is a closely watched annual listing of the fast-growing tech companies, businesses that are releasing new, emerging technologies from the U.S. and Canada worldwide.  The latest ranking includes eight Connecticut companies, including one, operating in Stamford, that reached the top 100. Combining technological innovation, entrepreneurship, and rapid growth, Fast 500 companies—large and small, public and private—are located in cities all across North America and are “disrupting the technology industry,” according to consulting firm Deloitte, which has compiled the annual list for two decades.

Fast 500 award winners on the current list were selected based on percentage fiscal year revenue growth during the period from 2011 to 2014.  Companies must own proprietary intellectual property or technology that is sold to customers in products that contribute to a majority of the company’s operating revenues in order to be considered for inclusion on the list, according to Deloitte.

The lone Connecticut company to crack the top 100 was Milford medical device manufacturer SurgiQuest, which was number 100.  The company’s growth was pegged at 877 percent.  It was incorporated in 2006, with a focus on laproscopy technology.

Not far behind, at number 119, was Revolution Lighting Technologies, a manufacturer based in Stamford.  The analysis placed the company’s growth at 755 percent.  Revolution Lighting Technologies Inc. engages in the design, manufacture, marketing, and sale of light emitting diode (LED) lighting solutions in the United States, Canada, and internationally.  The company’s customers include the U.S. military.

Madison-based Clarity Software Solutions, Inc., with 298 percent growth, placed at number 247 on the top 500 fastest growing technology companies in North America.  Clarity Software Solutions, Inc. helps health insurance clients optimize customer relationships-and save time and money-by enhancing flexibility and control over document management and communications delivery, according to the company’s website.

Also making the list were Evariant of Farmington, a software developer, at number 272, and HP One, a software company in Trumbull at number 307.  Biopharmaceutical company Alexion, in the midst of moving its headquarters from Cheshire to New Haven, was ranked at number 349, and etouches, a Norwalk software company ranked at number 357.  Rounding out the Connecticut companies on the list is Wallingford oil extraction technology company APS Tecnhology, at number 466.

“Amid a fierce business climate, there seems to be no shortage of new and established companies that are unlocking a seemingly unlimited potential for growth and advancement through technology’s continued disruption and proliferation across industries,” said Sandra Shirai, principal, Deloitte Consulting LLP and US technology, media, and telecommunications leader.

“It is inspiring to witness the innovative ways companies are incorporating emerging technologies for business gains, be it cognitive computing, or the Internet of Things. We congratulate all those ranked on the Fast 500 and look forward to seeing their continued growth into 2016.”

Revolution Lighting Technologies ranked eighth among energy tech companies, and SurgiQuest Inc. ranked sixth among medical device companies.

Overall, 283 of the 500 companies were in the software sector, and 67 percent of the 500 companies have received venture capital funding at some point in their company’s history.  Topping the list was StartApp, with a growth rate of 21,984 percent from 2011 to 2014. Based in New York and founded in 2010, StartApp provides a free monetization and distribution platform that integrates with applications on mobile devices.

Two-thirds of the companies are private, and 33 percent are public.  The average growth rate of the top 500 companies was 850 percent, with individual company growth on the list ranging from 21,984 percent to 109 percent.  Broken down by region, 20 percent of the companies are based in the San Francisco Bay Area, 14 percent in the New York Metro Area, 7 percent in New England, and 6 percent in Los Angeles and Washington, D.C.

Patent Trolls Target Nearly 50 Connecticut Businesses, Filing Suits in Friendly Texas Court

“I know firsthand how detrimental patent trolls can be to small businesses, as my Connecticut small business was recently the victim of abusive patent litigation in which bad patents were used as weapons of financial intimidation against my small business. $100,000 in legal fees and ten months of litigation later, we successfully defended against these frivolous lawsuits, explained Michael Skelps, General Manager of Middlefield-based Capstone Photography recently in a published report. The New York Times has described patent trolls as “people who sue companies for infringement, often using patents of dubious value or questionable relevance, and then hold on like a terrier until they get license fees. In recent years, patent trolls — they prefer “patent assertion entities,” or P.A.E.’s — have gone from low-profile corporate migraine to mainstream scourge.”

Skelps said that “a year later, my small company is still recovering from exorbitant legal fees, none of which we were able to recoup from the legal system.  As a result of the lawsuit, my mom-and-pop photography shop had to downsize from five full-time employees to three part-time. We spent the equivalent of a year’s worth of profit to defend ourselves, with no budget allocated before to legal defense.”

While action to combat the rapidly escalating challenge to businesses of every size has been unable to navigate through a divided Congress, the problem is growing.  One jurisdiction in particular is a hospitable home for the legal attacks.  Federal court in the Eastern District of Texas is the epicenter of patent troll litigation, and nearly 50 Connecticut companies are among those hauled into court there under dubious circumstances.

The Dallas Business Journal printed what read very much like a warning to American businesses, when a commentary noted that “the Eastern District of Texas’ misguided judicial system makes the towns of Tyler, Marshall, Beaumont and Texarkana the biggest patent-troll nest in the United States, filling the coffers of these tiny towns with money legally extorted from innovators that could otherwise be used to support business growth and create new jobs.”

The Connecticut businesses range from well-known names such as Xerox, UTC, Pitney Bowes, Aetna, Starwood, Priceline, WWE, Frontier Communications and Stanley Black & Decker to dozens of lesser known names lacking the deep pockets to fight what are usually unfounded allegations.  Small and medium-sized businesses – many in the tech fields - are frequently sued in East Texas even if they operate outside the state.  The goal appears to be either to force them to travel to the Lone Star State to defend their business practices, or to extract exorbitant settlements as the only way to avoid the travel and legal costs.

It is those out-of-court settlements that the trolls depend on, and which are bleeding some unsuspecting businesses virtually dry. The median compensatory-damage award by East Texas judges and juries in patent cases was $8.25 million, according to the article, written by the president and CEO of the Consumer Electronics Association, a U.S. trade association representing more than 2,000 consumer electronics companies.

Six months ago, in an effort to put an end to such activities, the Judiciary Committee in Congress approved legislation that would overhaul the nation’s patent laws.  That effort, however, has slowed, and ultimate passage in Congress is in doubt, according to published reports.

In Connecticut, associations and organizations including The Credit Union League of Connecticut, Connecticut Food Association and the Connecticut Retail Merchant Association have called for federal action to end patent trolling.  The National Retail Federation has said that the cost of defending companies against the claims is so high — the average case costs $2 million and can take 18 months — that many victims settle out of court. The cases cost legitimate businesses close to $30 billion a year in direct costs and $80 billion indirectly, amounting to $943 a year for the average household when passed on to consumers.”

Small businesses bear the brunt of the litigation, but larger businesses are not immune.  About a year ago, it was reported that “Apple must pay a shell company $532.9 million because iTunes infringes upon three patents related to online patents, a jury in East Texas ruled.  The company in question … is also based in Texas and doesn’t make or do anything besides file patent lawsuits, as an Apple spokesperson pointed out, noting that the company “makes no products, has no employees, creates no jobs, has no U.S. presence, and is exploiting our patent system to seek royalties for technology Apple invented.”

By mid-2015, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas was headed to a record year. An astonishing 1,387 patent cases were filed there in the first half of the year, according to published reports. This was 44.4 percent of all patent cases nationwide, and almost all of the growth is being “fueled by patent trolls.”  Reports indicate that in 1999, only fourteen patent cases were filed there. By 2003, the number of filings had grown to fifty-five. Ten years later, in 2013, it was 1,495.

Overall, patent disputes hit an all-time high of about 7,500 cases in 2015, largely driven by patent trolls who filed two-thirds of the lawsuits, according to a report from Unified Patents. The number of lawsuits filed by non-practicing entities (NPEs), known as “patent trolls,” increased by 25 percent.  Last year, patent troll filings made up 95 percent of the cases in the Eastern District of Texas.

While Congress is mired in inaction, at least one state is stepping into the fray.  Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring, a Democrat who took office in 2014, announced last week a new initiative to support Virginia businesses by combating patent trolling through a newly formed Attorney General’s Patent Troll Unit.

Herring’s announcement explained that “in recent years high-tech businesses, Main Street businesses, and everything in between have become frequent targets of “patent trolls” who send bad faith demand letters, request unjustified licensing fees, and threaten baseless lawsuits. Unchecked, patent trolls and their bad faith practices stifle innovation in the Commonwealth, have a negative impact on our innovation-driven economy, and tie up the courts.” Businesses are forced to “choose between paying unjustified licensing fees and engaging in costly litigation,” the  announcement stressed.

The federal Government Accountability Office (GAO), according to a Washington Post report, found that a disproportionate share of patent litigation concerns software patents. The non-partisan government agency found that the number of defendants in patent lawsuits more than doubling from 2007 through 2011. Notably, this increase is specifically related to software patents — software patents account for 89% of the increase, according to the GAO's calculations.

Said Skelps: “our current patent system is ripe for exploitation. Like the abusive patent litigation we endured, malicious actors are abusing the system and using it as a weapon against legitimate businesses, harming innovation, driving small companies out of business, and overtaxing our already overburdened litigation system.”

CT Start-Up Wins MassChallenge, Takes Home $300,000 to Advance Work in Glucose Monitoring

Connecticut-based Biorasis, with roots at UConn, was recently awarded the MassChallenge’s top prize at their annual awards ceremony in Boston.  The company was one of only four “Diamond Winners,” receiving a cash prize of $100,000. They were also one of two teams to receive the Sidecar Award, providing an additional $200,000 in non-dilutive funding. Biorasis Inc. is a rapidly growing medical device company committed to advancing the field of metabolic monitoring through development of implantable biosensor platforms and basic research in the areas of drug delivery, nanotechnology and microelectronics.  The company’s goal is to vastly improve the quality of life of diabetics.

The technology developed by Biorasis, the Glucowizzard™, is an ultra-small implantable biosensor for continuous, reliable glucose monitoring. This needle-implantable device wirelessly transmits glucose levels to a watch-like unit for real-time display, which in turn communicates with personal digital accessories like a smartphone. Continuous metabolic monitoring “holds great potential to provide an early indication of various body disorders and diseases,” the company website explains, adding that Biorasis’ implantable multi-sensor platform is “capable of such real-time, continuous monitoring.”

Biorasis is in the business of developing a miniaturized, hypodermic-injectable biosensor for reliable continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) with autonomous operation for 3-6 months that requires no user intervention.

Their solution “eliminates surgery for sensor implantation and extraction, restores active life style, enables remote care for juveniles and the elderly, enhances compliance, and saves 50-70% in annual healthcare costs.”

The company’s co-founders and scientific advisors are:

• Faquir Jaina, a Professor of Electrical & Computer Engineering at the University of Connecticut. He has over 35 years of experience in design, modeling and fabrication of micro/opto-electronic devices, integrated circuits and multiple quantum-well light valves/modulators.
• Fotios Papadimitrakopoulos, a Professor of Chemistry and Associate Director of the Institute of Materials Science at University of Connecticut. He has over 20 years of experience in the areas of polymers, nano/bio-systems and supramolecular assembly of nanostructures.

The company continues to grow, and their scientific team is currently expanding. The Biorasis website indicates that the company is seeking individuals with “a proven track record and experience in the areas of medical devices, electrochemistry, polymer science, pharmaceutics, animal studies, microelectronics and device packaging.” Inquiries can be directed to Biorasis at the UCONN Technology Incubation Program in Storrs.  Additional investors are also being sought.

MassChallenge, an independent nonprofit organization, envisions “a creative and inspired society in which everyone recognizes that they can define their future, and is empowered to maximize their impact.” They note that “novice entrepreneurs require advice, resources and funding to bring their ideas to fruition. Currently there is a gap between the resources these entrepreneurs need and the ability of the entrepreneurial ecosystem to provide them.” To bridge that gap, the organization’s primary activities include running an annual global accelerator program and startup competition, documenting and organizing key resources, and organizing training and networking events.  They “connect entrepreneurs with the resources they need to launch and succeed immediately.”

CT is a Top-10 State in Energy Efficiency, Recent Growth of Solar Power Capacity

An annual ranking from the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) rated Connecticut among the top ten energy-efficient states in the country along with Massachusetts, California, Vermont, Rhode Island, Oregon, Maryland, Washington, and New York, with Minnesota and Illinois tied for 10th place. Connecticut was noted for its financial incentives and energy efficiency investments. The state  ranked 6th in the 2015 State Energy Efficiency Scorecard, the same position it held in 2014. The state also earned the same number of points as it did in 2014, totaling 35.5 points out of 50.

According to the report, “Connecticut’s leadership is committed to pursuing policies that encourage energy efficiency within the state, although processes like building code adoption have moved relatively slowly in recent years. Connecticut has put significant resources behind the launching of its green bank. While there are signs of early success, these projects will need to be closely tracked as other states look to Connecticut as an example. Connecticut will need to realize even higher levels of savings in the future in order to remain in the top tier and meet state energy savings targets.”

Connecticut earned 15 out of 20 points for its utility policies and programs, 6 points out of a possible 10 points for transportation policies, 5 points out of 7 for its building energy code stringency and compliance efforts, earned 3 points out of 4 for its combined heat and power policies and programs, 5.5 out of 7 points for state-led energy efficiency initiatives, and 1 point out of 2 for appliance standards.

At the bottom of the list were Mississippi, South Dakota, Louisiana, Wyoming and North Dakota.

The ACEEE also developed a similar rating system for the nation’s largest cities, ranking the top 50.  Leading the list were Boston, New York City, Washington, San Francisco, Seattle, Chicago, Minneapolis, Portland, Austin and Denver.  The only Connecticut city to crack the top 50, Hartford, ranked at number 45.  Connecticut’s Capitol City earned 23 points out of a possible 100, in an analysis that included local government operations, community-wide initiatives, building policies, energy & water utilities, and transportation.

The report noted that “policymakers, regulators, and citizens are increasingly recognizing that energy efficiency is a crucially important resource. States and localities are leading the way when it comes to implementing energy-efficient policies and programs.”

The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE), a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) organization, acts as a catalyst to advance energy efficiency policies, programs, technologies, investments, and behaviors. The organization believes that “the United States can harness the full potential of energy efficiency to achieve greater economic prosperity, energy security, and environmental protection for all its people.”

Another  recent study, “Lighting the Way III: The Top States that Helped Drive America’s Solar Energy Boom in 2014,” by the research and policy arm of Environment Connecticut finds Connecticut ranks 10th nationally for solar power capacity per capita installed in 2014, with 13 watts of solar electric capacity per person installed last year. Nevada led all of the states in 2014, with 119 watts per capita, according to the study. Part of this success is credited to supportive state policymaking.  The organization points out that “solar power has tripled in the U.S. in the last two years, with another American family or business going solar every four minutes.  That’s in part because the price of solar has dropped more than 50 percent since 2011.”

They add that “research shows the cities and states with the most solar power aren’t necessarily the ones with the most sunshine; they also include states with smart pro-solar policies.  States like Connecticut have outpaced sunnier locales like Florida because of policies that allow increasing numbers of homeowners, businesses, communities and utilities to go solar.”

olar power in Connecticut has grown 221 percent per Capita since 2012, ranking the state 13th in the nation, the report points out. The top solar growth states in the nation, like Connecticut, have adopted renewable energy requirements, strong laws allowing solar customers to sell their excess power to the electric grid, and other policies encouraging growth of the industry, the report indicates.  The industry is also adding jobs much faster than the overall economy, employing 1,600 people in Connecticut last year, according to www.solarstates.org

“Demand for solar power in Connecticut is growing exponentially,” said Bryan Garcia, President and CEO of the Connecticut Green Bank. “Consumers continue to demand solar power despite a 70 percent reduction in state incentives. In fact, increased private investment has enabled the market to offer lease and loan products that deliver immediate positive cash flow to consumers. This makes solar PV a cleaner, cheaper and more reliable alternative."

Bipartisan legislation signed by Governor Malloy earlier this year lays a foundation for continued growth of solar power, and jobs, in Connecticut, Environment Connecticut points out, citing the stated goal of building enough residential solar systems to power over 40,000 homes in the state by 2022.

Hartford Radio Ratings Reflect Dominance of FM Stations

The most recent radio ratings in the Hartford market confirm the dominance of FM radio and the continued long slide of AM radio and audience levels overall.  The top seven most listened-to stations in the market are FM, led by perennial ratings leader WRCH-FM, a CBS Radio owned Adult Contemporary format station, with an 11.6 rating. Tightly bunched behind WRCH-FM are WWYZ-FM (country music), with a rating of 7.5, WTIC-FM (hot adult contemporary) at 7.4, WHCN-FM (classic hits) at 7.0 and WKSS-FM (contemporary hits) at 6.9. 

Rounding out the top eight are WZMX-FM at 6.5, WDRC-FM at 6.3, and WTIC-AM at 5.9.

Then the ratings drop down to WNPR-FM at 2.6, WDRC-AM at 1.1, WFCR-FM (based in Amherst, MA) at 0.9 and WPOP-AM at 0.1.  WPOP recently switched to a news/talk format, and plans to broadcast Hartford Yard Goats minor league baseball games.  WDRC-FM switched to a Classic Rock format, similar to the music that played a decade ago on WCCC and WHCN.

The ratings profile, covering listening habits in November 2015, contains an quarter hour share (AQH) rating -- the average number of persons, ages 6+, who listened during any average quarter hour from 6am to midnight, Monday through Sunday in the Survey Area, Metropolitan Hartford.

Fifteen years ago, before smart phones, internet radio, satellite radio and a limitless supply of alternate listening options, the numbers were higher across the board, and AM radio – in the case of WTIC – was often at the top of the list, or not far behind.

Here’s what the ratings looked like in April 2001:

WTIC-AM1080 was the most-listened-to radio station in the Hartford market, posting a 13.1 share in the winter rating period, up from the 10.3 it logged in the fall ratings.  WRCH fell from 11.8 to 10.5 to finish second. WKSS-FM also suffered a ratings drop, as reported at the time by the Journal Inquirer. The station racked up an 8.2 rating, down from the 9.7 it chalked up during the fall ratings period.

WWYZ-FM advanced from a 6.6 to a 7.7 to finish fourth overall.  WTIC-FM enjoyed a slight improvement, advancing from 6.8 to 7.0.  Rounding out the Top 10 were WDRC-FM (4.9), WCCC-FM (4.8), WDRC-AM (3.7), WMRQ-FM (3.) and WHCN-FM (3.1, up from 2.8).

Finishing 11th was WZMX-FM, which slid from a 3.1 in the fall to a 2.7 in the winter. WAQY-FM (West Springfield,MA), , finished 12th with a 1.9 rating.  The area's all-sports station, WPOP-AM1410, was far back in the pack with a 0.7 share.

Among the morning programs, in overall ratings, WTIC's Ray Dunaway and Diane Smith attained a 17.2 rating. WRCH was second with an 8.8 share. WTIC-FM was third with an 8.4 share, followed by WWYZ and WKSS. WCCC-FM gained a half-point to finish sixth with a 6.4 share.

A new station took high honors among the 25-54 demographic among morning shows. WTIC-FM and host Gary Craig posted an 11.3 to grab the No. 1 spot.  WTIC-AM was second with a 10.4 rating.  WRCH was third, followed by WCCC.

In the 18-34 age bracket, WKSS was No. 1, WCCC was second overall in the young demographic. In morning shows, WCCC and Howard Stern continued in the No. 1 position. WCCC grabbed a 15.6 share in the morning, WKSS was second, at 12.8.  WMRQ and its morning host, former Twisted Sister lead singer Dee Snider, attained a 10.7 rating.