Some recent events have highlighted a significant lack of follow-through for both the 2008 Global Warming Solutions Act provisions passed by our state legislature, and Executive Order No. 3 signed by Gov. Ned Lamont in September of 2019. Since that time, transitioning our state from fossil fuel energy to the stated target of 100% zero carbon for our electric sector by 2050 has had some serious setbacks.  Unfortunately, Connecticut’s leadership has not stood up for major provisions stated in that executive order.  While political times have changed, Mother Nature has continued to obey laws of science and will not pause while we take a break from implementing our own state laws. On the same day that nine activists from Don’t Destroy Our Future held a peaceful sit-in in the governor’s office in opposition to multiple new gas expansion projects, Eversource announced a proposed 13% increase in its “winter electricity rate,” subject to approval by PURA.  The U.S. Energy Information Administration estimates that Connecticut’s residential rate is already 92% higher than the national average.  According to Hartford Business Journal reporting, the reason is because the cost of electricity Eversource purchases for customers has gone up. This increase “reflect{s} constrained natural gas supplies and increased heating demand” in the winter months.  The rate increase would be effective January 1, 2026, about a month away.   With an estimated 1.3 million customers in 157 of Connecticut’s towns and cities, Eversource is encouraging customers “to explore competitive suppliers through the Energize CT rate board, where alternative providers may offer lower prices or renewable energy options.” Hmmmm… so why doesn’t Eversource pursue renewable energy options?  Why is Eversource wedded to “natural” gas, an industry term that obscures the fact that it’s primarily methane gas, which has immediate emissions during the following decade that, when compared to carbon dioxide, are more than 80 times more damaging to our environment and human health? In a November energy forum hosted by the Hartford Business Journal, speakers including State Department of Economic Community Development Commissioner Daniel O’Keefe urged that our state move away from individual state level power purchase agreements and instead look to ISO-New England for regional energy procurement.  Their reason? Connecticut commercial energy prices are 140% higher than the U.S. average.  So, with gas still comprising 60% of our state’s energy supply, both our homes -–remember the “winter electricity rate” noted above–- and businesses are facing higher rates with no end in sight year after year. The initial financial costs for transition away from fossil fuel energy to renewables -–solar, wind, geothermal-– sounds like a big investment.  It is a big investment up front.  But right now, the Lamont administration is approving a number of gas pipeline expansions with costs of $8 million to $15 million per mile that are simply being passed along to rate-payers in our monthly bills as part of delivery charges.  And those pipeline expansions are investments in the next 20 or 30 years of continued gas energy.  So, either we’ll get our money’s worth–- or rather the industry’s money’s worth–- or the pipelines will only be used for the next five to ten years, which makes it a short-term investment for them that consumers have paid for with no choice or questioning. Unfortunately, in his January, 2025, State of the Union address, Gov. Lamont made no reference to these Executive Order No. 3 goals:  to implement strategies “to assess and prepare for the impacts of climate change in areas such as infrastructure, agriculture, natural resources and public health” and to “spur innovation in carbon-reduction strategies and economic development throughout the state and the region.”  Instead, in proclaiming accurately that most of our power comes from natural (methane) gas, he predicted that it will continue “for the foreseeable future.”  This indicates that his administration intends to continue to issue permits for further gas pipeline expansions.  So our families and business financial security will continue to be at the mercy of investor-owned utilities like Eversource, with decisions made to increase their profit.  Eversource apparently finds changing to renewable energy too expensive because wind, solar or geothermal power cannot be charged to ratepayers, unlike methane gas construction costs. Also note that, while geothermal infrastructure costs more to install, there is no fuel cost for decades after. To support implementation of  Executive Order No. 3, we needed state officials to end the continued expansion of fossil gas by opposing the doubling of Brookfield’s compressor station capacity.  Instead, DEEP has issued preliminary approval.  We needed the Department of Administrative Services to support updating of the Hartford Capitol Area System energy infrastructure with geothermal conversion.  Instead, the choice was to replace old gas boilers with more gas boilers.  We need to hear Gov. Lamont’s opposition to an Eversource plan to build new pipelines between Middletown and Montville by drilling and laying such pipe underneath the Connecticut River.  To date, no such statement has been reported. In short, we need our state leadership to deny all such permits and projects that undermine or directly conflict with Gov. Lamont’s stated executive order goals. Such action has not been forthcoming, just when the people of our state and the New England region need it most. Following the Don’t Destroy Our Future activists’ attempt to meet with the governor, his spokesperson responded with a press statement: that the administration looks forward to conversations with “regional partners” about how to increase our state’s energy supply, lower costs for ratepayers and to protect the state’s investment in renewable energy. Maybe including some of his own constituents, such as the youth-led SunRise Movement, as one of those “regional partners” is a good place to start. Our young people have the highest stakes in this one-planet-or-no-liveable-planet future we are all facing now.  Indeed, it is young people who will benefit from, or pay the prices–both financial and environmental–for any action taken or promises broken by our state leadership. We need climate heroes now who have the commitment to follow through on Gov. Lamont’s Executive Order No. 3 promises made in 2019.  Please step up now. Claudia Allen of Thompson is a participant in Don’t Destroy Our Future. ...read more read less