FILE PHOTO — Millstone Power Station, Units 2 and 3. The nuclear power plants are located in Waterford, CT, in NRC Region I. Credit: Photo courtesy of ©Dominion Energy / Flickr / Creative Commons
HARTFORD, CT — Connecticut will achieve at least a 34% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from 2001 levels by 2030, according to the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection’s latest Connecticut’s Climate Progress report.
The report, issued every three years, details the state’s ongoing efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions while also working toward lower energy costs, cleaner air and more resilient communities, according to DEEP. The department credits the GHG reductions to decades of efforts to invest in energy efficiency, more fuel-efficient and zero emissions vehicles and clean power.
“Climate action is critically important for the well-being of Connecticut residents. This report shows that the programs we’re enacting at the state level are making positive gains right now to make life more affordable, healthier, and safer for Connecticut families,” said DEEP Commissioner Katie Dykes. “The programs highlighted in this report are already delivering real results — lowering energy costs, reducing harmful air pollution, improving grid reliability, and helping our communities better withstand extreme weather.”
The latest GHG inventory for the state showed the adoption of heat pumps, and a greater share of more fuel-efficient and electric vehicles on the road continued to drive down GHG emissions year over year from 2022 to 2023 in the residential buildings and transportation sectors. In 2023, nearly 23,000 rebates for heat pumps for home heating were claimed through the state’s Conservation and Load Management (C&LM) program – a 51.5% increase from 2022. The share of light-duty cars and trucks model year 2017 and later – the starting year for the Obama-era CAFE standards – increased from 31.6% in 2022 to 40.6% in 2023 and electric vehicle registrations increased from 30,186 in 2022 to 44,313 in 2023 (or by 46.8%).
The state’s investments in zero carbon energy are also paying dividends. This week, thanks in large part to revenue from the fixed price contracts with Millstone and Seabrook nuclear power plants, Gov. Ned Lamont announced lower residential electricity rates throughout Connecticut starting May 1, 2026, including by 4.3 cents per kilowatt-hour or about $30 per month for an average Eversource residential customer and 4.9 cents per kilowatt-hour or about $34 per month for an average United Illuminating residential customer.
The report highlights that federal efficiency and air pollution standards for cars, trucks, and power plants; tax credits, investments, and permitting clean and renewable energy; energy efficiency standards; and monitoring and reporting on air and climate pollution have played a key role in lowering GHG emissions, protecting public health, and lowering costs. As the federal government rolls back these programs, it has become clear they must be restored for long-term success. In the absence of federal leadership, sustaining impactful state programs are now more critical than ever. These include programs described above to reduce the state’s largest sources of GHG emissions and pollution, as well as investments in conservation and management of lands and urban forestry to maintain carbon sequestration.
Finally, the report closes with highlighting the power of collective action when states work together. While Connecticut does its part to reduce GHG emissions, those efforts are multiplied through the state’s continued membership in the United States Climate Alliance. The Alliance represents 24 states and territories (including Connecticut), approximately 55% of the U.S. population, and 60% of the U.S. economy.
Between 2005 and 2023, the Alliance’s economy-wide GHG emissions decreased by 24% while Alliance members simultaneously increased their GDP by 34%. Looking ahead, DEEP is building on this report with a multi-sector Comprehensive Climate Action Plan, funded by the US EPA Climate Pollution Reduction Grant program, to evaluate pathways to meet the state’s net zero by 2050 target.