Connecticut Environmental Groups Decry Selection of Fossil Fuel Replacement for Hartford’s Capitol Area System

HARTFORD, Conn. – The Connecticut Department of Administrative Services (DAS) has selected a fossil fuel replacement for the state-owned Capitol Area System in Hartford. Although it no longer generates electricity for the grid, the Capitol Area System continues to heat and cool local state-owned and private buildings using highly-polluting methane gas. Hartford residents have relentlessly advocated for a clean energy replacement for years, noting the dangers of air pollution to public health.

The replacement option selected by DAS includes gas boilers in addition to a water source heat pump. DAS has $19 million already in funding for the project. Governor Lamont has also recommended an additional authorization of $16 million in his proposed budget. 

The State of Connecticut first purchased the Capitol Area System, a former co-generation power plant, in 2022. The system requires extensive repair in order to continue providing heating and cooling to buildings along its two mile loop, including the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) and the Appellate Court. DAS previously conducted a decarbonization study in March 2024 weighing the economic and environmental cost of multiple replacement options, including clean energy alternatives. 

The Capitol Area System replacement is one of the first major updates to state building heating systems since Governor Lamont issued Executive Order 21-3 in 2021. The order tasked DAS and DEEP with developing a plan to retrofit existing fossil fuel-based heating and cooling systems at state buildings to systems capable of being operated without carbon-emitting fuels. It also required the agencies to develop a plan and budget to achieve zero-greenhouse gas emissions for all new construction and major renovations funded by the state or in facilities owned/operated by the Governor’s administration.

“The decision made by Governor Lamont and his administration is very disrespectful to the people of not only Hartford, but of the state,” said Alycia Jenkins, Chapter Organizer with Sierra Club Connecticut. “I challenge Governor Lamont to reverse this decision and follow his EO 21-3. I, and many other Connecticut residents, demand that Governor Lamont commit to using renewable energy such as solar, heat pumps, and thermal energy networks to update the Capitol Area System. I also demand that Governor Lamont have a clear path forward with a workforce that hires and trains Hartford residents in renewable installations.” 

“Governor Lamont pledged to convert to clean energy for heating and cooling of state buildings in his executive order,” said Dr. Mark Mitchell, Co-chair of the Connecticut Equity and Environmental Justice Advisory Council. “He should keep that promise, as Hartford should not remain a sacrifice zone, where we, as Black and Brown residents, risk our health and lives for the privilege of hosting our state’s government.”  

“It's disappointing to see the Connecticut administration's lack of commitment to greener solutions,” said Tenaya Taylor, Hartford resident and Founder at  Nonprofit Accountability Group (NAG). “The use of fossil fuels not only harms our planet and environment, but also our bodies. The Capitol Area System is located near a high school and an elementary school, putting the lives of many children and families at risk by exposing them to dangerous pollutants. This is not the future children deserve. Hartford residents deserve healthy energy, allowing them to breathe clean air;  ensuring a healthy and sustainable future.”

“Choosing the option for CAS that replaces old gas boilers with new ones is the wrong decision,” said Peter Millman, VP, People’s Action for Clean Energy. “It condemns the people of Hartford to continue breathing the emissions of burning gas to heat these 15 buildings for another 30 years. It’s also a missed opportunity to continue developing a thermal energy network industry in CT. The shame is that the study used to make this decision was flawed and inadequate, relying on faulty assumptions concerning cost. Governor Lamont should have required DAS to commission a second study using a consulting firm with specialized knowledge of thermal energy networks.”

"This decision by Governor Lamont is one of the most short-sighted decisions of his entire administration,” said Dr. Davida Foy Crabtree of Third Act CT. “Short-sighted because it does not address the huge health issues for Hartford caused by methane “natural” gas. Short-sighted because it’s a classic fossil fool move: defer to a more expensive solution at a later time. The time is now, not later. We elder members of Third Act CT are rapidly losing faith in Governor Lamont’s leadership as he once again takes the low road when it comes to addressing climate and environmental concerns."

“Due to the destructive role of fossil fuels in the worldwide climate crisis, the damaging effects on human health, on communities targeted by racism and economic hardship, the Windham-Willimantic NAACP calls on state and local residents and officials to further the development and construction of clean, renewable energy sources as a top priority during the next decade," said Windham-Willimantic NAACP President Leah Ralls. "We urge Governor Lamont to adhere to the requirements of his own Executive Order #21-3."

“The decision to use fossil fuels rather than clean energy at the Capitol Area System is an insult to the community members and advocates fighting to ensure that their communities have clean air and a stable climate,” said Sena Wazer of the Stop Project Maple Campaign. “Governor Lamont claims to care, but actions speak louder than words. From the Capitol Area System, to the Brookfield Compressor Station, and Project Maple pipeline expansion, Governor Lamont must oppose the expansion of natural gas infrastructure.

"Multiple studies over several years found that the Capitol Area Systems heating and cooling facility could run on geothermal power but Connecticut refuses to invest in clean energy that improves air quality for local residents,” said Martha Klein of Norfolk, Connecticut. “Instead, this fracked gas powered and polluting unit will continue to run on methane, profiting monopoly gas distributor Eversource. New Haven is building a geothermal network and other cities have done the same such as Framingham, MA. Why must Hartford be left behind?”