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www.CTGreenGuide.com WinTer 2014 • Connecticut Green Guide 33 Renewables' Future With large-scale project difficult, CT must rely on distributed generation By Jon Gordon I t seems everyone supports wind power as a renew- able energy source, and I'm often asked, "Why don't we have more wind power in Connecticut?" In September, the Connecticut Supreme Court re- moved a major obstacle to construction of the state's first large-scale, commercial wind turbines. Prior to this court action, Connecticut was the only state in the U.S. to have a moratorium on wind farm construction. The wind farm proposal that led to the court challenge calls for six wind turbine towers in Colebrook, the towers will be 491 feet tall at their highest point. By way of comparison, the tallest building in Connecticut is City Place in Hartford, which stands 535 feet tall. When it comes to wind power, and many other forms of centralized electric power generation, bigger is better, or at least cheaper in terms of the ultimate cost of the electricity generated. Unfortunately, Connecticut is small and densely populated. The Colebrook wind farm is on an 80-acre parcel and will generate up to 9.6 megawatts of electricity when sufficient wind is blowing. By way of comparison, a typical natural gas fired generating sta- tion generates 500 megawatts, and the Millstone nuclear power plant in Waterford generates 2,000 megawatts. Even with the Supreme Court ruling, one can imagine the difficulty in siting large scale wind projects in Con- necticut with its strict zoning laws, and very little low- cost, open space land with favorable wind patterns. Large-scale solar faces similar challenges. In 2013, Connecticut's largest solar facility began operation on a 50-acre farm in Somers and generates 5 megawatts when the sun is shining. By way of comparison, the largest solar facility in the U.S. is on more than 6,000 acres in the southern California desert, on a site the size of Windsor Locks and generates 550 megawatts. So what will the renewable energy revolution look like in Connecticut? The future of sustainable, renewable power generation in Connecticut will consist of thousands of smaller scale distributed renewable sites. Distributed gen- eration is easily connected and integrated into the existing power grid, and unlike its large-scale renewable counter- parts, distributed renewables can grow organically with- out government intervention and billions of public sector investment. The best example of this revolution today in Connecticut is in rooftop solar. Distributed solar is growing in Connecticut due to a combination of plummeting solar panel prices and creative leasing arrangements, which have eliminated the large initial investments required to install solar. Distributed renewables already are providing significant benefits, and Connecticut has an opportunity to become a leader in distributed renewables. Jon Gordon is an independent energy policy consultant and a 28-year veteran of the energy industry, working on issues ranging from power markets to regulation to legislative affairs. Jon also serves on the Board of REEBA (Renewable Energy and Efficiency Business Association).