Legislators: Proposal Allows Newtown to “Get Greener”

Area state lawmakers are applauding the Connecticut legislature’s passage of Senate Bill 394 to help Newtown and other towns to complete their solar energy fields and take better control of their energy use costs.

At no cost to the state taxpayers, the legislation increases the virtual net metering limit and our town’s participation in this energy cost-saving program.

Virtual net metering allows a town like Newtown to assign energy credits from a solar system to another metered account. The benefit of this for Newtown is that it can provide significant financial savings, and it allows municipal facilities that are not ideal for solar to reap the benefits of solar energy production.

“We believe all of our efforts should be focused on policies which make Connecticut a more predictable, more sustainable, and a more transparent state and empower our local towns to manage their fiscal and energy costs” Sen. Tony Hwang said.

“We continue to strive to be better environmental stewards,” Rep. Mitch Bolinsky said. “Part of that ongoing effort involves embracing renewable energy and reducing our carbon footprint. Newtown recently hit a roadblock in its green energy project, and this new law will remove that obstacle.”

Rep. J.P Sredzinski said, “By passing such policies, whether they are energy policies or budgetary measures, we make our state stronger over time.”

“It was a total team effort,” Rep. Dan Carter said. “This legislation will help Newtown and other towns to save money over the long term as they get greener and ease tax burdens on our communities.”

The lawmakers applauded Newtown Public Works Director Fred Hurley, who joined Sen. Hwang at the State Capitol to testify in favor of the legislation.

“Fred Hurley understands that this law is a win-win for Newtown and his vision and technical expertise was instrumental to the passage of this bill and amendment,” Sen. Hwang said. “He took the time to travel to Hartford, he brought that message to state lawmakers, and they listened.”

(Attached photo: Newtown Public Works Director Fred Hurley and Sen. Tony Hwang testified at the State Capitol on behalf of the legislation to help Newtown “get greener.”)