$9.5M EPA Climate Pollution Reduction Grant Earmarked For New Haven

NEW HAVEN, CT —Monday, state and federal officials gathered at Union Station to announce that Connecticut is receiving a series of grants under the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ’s Climate Pollution Reduction Grant program.

The federal grants are awarded to states and local governments to develop and implement ambitious plans for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and other harmful air pollution.

Participants in the announcement included U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal, Mayor Justin Elicker, Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection Commissioner Katie Dykes, EPA Regional Administrator David Cash, and other state and local officials.

The City of New Haven is being awarded $9.5 million by the EPA to support the creation of a new geothermal network that will provide affordable, green, clean heating and cooling to Union Station and the surrounding neighborhood.

• Decarbonize our rail station that serves nearly 625,000 rail passengers annually.
• Provide low-cost and renewable energy to 1,000 proposed new mixed-income housing units in the surrounding area.
• Create green job and hands-on apprenticeship opportunities for individuals in underserved areas.
• Establish a blueprint for similar cities and communities to support affordable housing production, economic development, and neighborhood-scale decarbonization.

Meanwhile, Save the Sound shared that it "applauds" the EPA, DEEP, and New Haven "for three national climate project awards announced today at a press conference in New Haven’s Union Station."

“Not only will these projects help Connecticut to realize its goal of a clean energy future, but they also underscore the economic benefits of proactively tackling greenhouse gas emissions,” said Charles Rothenberger, climate and energy attorney with Save the Sound. “As the state experiences a string of heat waves, the timing couldn’t be better to highlight the need to provide more extremely energy efficient heat pumps—which cool as well as heat, replacing window air conditioning units. Expanding access to heat pumps will save customers significant money on their energy bills while also supporting jobs in the HVAC sector."

Similarly, Save the Sound noted, the proposed networked geothermal system for New Haven’s Union Station and an adjacent affordable housing development "will significantly reduce reliance on fossil fuels while providing clean, low-cost heating and cooling for both the train station and city residents."

And, working in partnership with other states in the Northeast freight corridor to expand EV charging stations for medium and heavy-duty vehicles will accelerate badly-needed emissions reductions in the transportation sector.