May 7, 2004—Governor John G. Rowland has ordered that the State of Connecticut commit to the largest state purchase of clean energy in New England by purchasing 20% clean, renewable energy for the state government’s total electricity needs by the year 2010. Further, the governor committed that the state will be running on 100% clean energy by the year 2050.
Specifically, Executive Order 32 calls for the state to purchase 20% clean energy by 2010, 50% clean energy by 2020, and 100% clean energy by 2050. At a minimum, this will result in the removal of 420 million pounds of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere by 2020, which is equivalent to removing 45,455 passenger cars from Connecticut’s roads for one year, or to the amount of pollutants emitted from 26,958 homes in a given year.
Only a handful of other states have implemented clean energy purchase programs for government-operated facilities according to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, a national laboratory working with the United States Department of Energy. Connecticut’s voluntary purchase of 20% by 2010 is reportedly the first in New England, and its commitment to 100% is the first such commitment in the nation.
The purchase of clean power for state buildings, colleges, and universities was an issue promoted by Connecticut-based SmartPower, a non-profit marketing campaign dedicated to promoting clean, renewable energy.
For more information on Connecticut’s actions on climate change and the reduction of greenhouse gases, visit Connecticut Climate Change.
