Woodbridge Town Buildings, Amity High to Get Electricity Backup System

An announcement from Woodbridge town government:

The Town of Woodbridge took a major step towards creating its municipal microgrid when, on Feb. 18, First Selectman Ellen Scalettar signed an agreement with the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection for a $3 million grant.

The $3 million grant will cover the cost of establishing the microgrid’s transmission system: underground transmission lines will connect Town campus buildings with each other and with Amity Regional High School.

“Given the weather extremes we have been experiencing, the importance of the microgrid is increasingly evident,” said First Selectman Ellen Scalettar. “It will provide ongoing power for the Town’s essential services and security to Woodbridge residents during extended power outages.”

United Illuminating will provide power generation through a fuel cell as part of its mandate to own and operate green power in the state.

The fuel cell will pump clean energy into the grid during normal operations, but in the case of a power outage, the microgrid will turn on and the fuel cell will power the Woodbridge Town Hall, Library, Fire House, Police Station, Public Works Facility and Senior Center, which also serves as an emergency shelter, as well as Amity High School.

“We are pleased that Woodbridge is moving forward with this important project and is poised to have one of the first microgrids in the state,” said Commissioner Rob Klee of Connecticut’s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. “When the power goes out, this microgrid will keep the lights on in municipal and public safety facilities so that critical services can be provided to residents.”

The fuel cell will be located on Amity High School’s campus and the school plans to capture and use the fuel cell’s waste heat.

“The Amity Regional School District is excited to have the opportunity to participate in this unique program,” said Superintendent of School Charles Dumais. “In addition to having the reliability of the infrastructure, we will be supporting the use of renewable energy sources, reducing energy use by taking advantage of heat from the fuel cell, and providing educational opportunities for our students.”