We used to build a LOT of things in CT and we don’t any more. Manufacturing in CT is a mere shadow of itself.  Letting manufacturing go to other states or overseas, has resulted in a sorry state of unstable or stagnant growth, stubborn unemployment numbers and blah economic opportunity.

One of the biggest problems our state faces is that we do not control our energy. We import natural gas, we import gasoline and we import oil. While CT is currently enjoying the benefits of low oil prices, it is not known how long those low prices will last. In addition, CT  is suffering from high natural gas prices which have resulted in CT residents paying some of the highest electricity rates in the country. The U.S. residential average price of electricity is 12.15 cents/kWh and CT Residential is 19.69 cents/kWh. The U.S. average Commercial  price of electricity is 10.34 cents/kWh compared to the CT average Commercial price of electricity of 15.70 cents/kWh. The Industrial U.S. average price of electricity is 6.65 cents/kWh and yet the CT Industrial average is 13.08 cents/kWh.  Source – http://www.eia.gov

Let’s compare CT electricity prices to Iowa where wind provided 27% of that state’s electricity.  Residential is 10.12 cents/kWh,  Commercial is 7.80 cents/kWh and Industrial is 5.22 cents/kWh. Source – http://www.eia.gov

Another key problem is transportation congestion. Anyone who has tried to commute to work on; I84, I91 or I95 knows, they are going to sit in traffic. How much productivity have businesses and consumers lost due to highway congestion?

To change this, we need to attract the best thought leaders and get them to build their innovative products here.

Let’s tell Elon Musk that we are interested in building his Hyper loop to solve our transportation problems. Let’s replace nuclear power plants with solar and both on and offshore wind farms to help stop importing our energy and fluctuating energy prices. Let’s revive an innovative idea to empty our landfills and turn garbage into clean energy using landfill gas to power super heated Plasma Tech

If the  business and political leaders of CT can effectively harness these ideas to combine Yankee ingenuity and know how with 21st century solutions, it can turn Connecticut into a modern renewable energy powerhouse of cutting edge technology, economic activity and growth.

Stay up to date and keep reading the Renewable Energy Association of CT for the latest info on electric vehicles, affordable sustainable housing, renewable energy news from solar, wind and more.

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