New wind energy projects can now move forward in Connecticut. Tuesday's announcement ends a three-year moratorium on wind turbines.
Back in 2011, the General Assembly agreed to place a moratorium on applications for wind projects until the Connecticut Siting Council could draw up regulations for wind energy in the state. Four times over the last three years, the legislature's Regulations Review Committee has rejected drafts of the regulations.
Finally, on Earth Day, the committee agreed that the Siting Council had fulfilled their duty, and lifted the moratorium. "This is not only a great win for the environment," said Lauren Savidge, a staff attorney for the Connecticut Fund for the Environment. "It also opens up a market for wind turbines in our state that will create jobs, and increase the amount of in-state energy generation."
Lawmakers praised the regulations for protecting citizens while opening up a new, renewable source of energy for the state. The lifted moratorium also gives companies wishing to build wind turbines enough time to apply for federal tax credits before they expire.