CT Chambers Host Sen. Winfield and CT Green Bank President on Briefing Call

Green Bank says “Bring your projects, we have capital!”

Senator Winfield, (D-New Haven) co-chairs the Banking Committee, and the Energy and Technology Committee.

Here are his key messages to local chambers:

Sen. Winfield

• “If Connecticut wants to stay competitive in a region that is increasingly adopting clean energy, we need better policies.”

• “There are a lot of economic opportunities out there if we open ourselves to renewables.”

• “Renewable energy sources tend to generate more jobs and that means more economic activity and more opportunities.”

• “I think it’s great that the state is looking to get renewables to 40 percent, but I do think a more ambitious goal—something along the lines of 50 percent—also makes a lot of sense.”

The Senator, who is also the Deputy Majority Leader, made his comments during a February briefing call co-hosted by the two largest Local Chambers of Commerce in the state, Middlesex and Greater New Haven, in partnership with Chambers for Innovation and Clean Energy.

“These issues are really important to me and to our chamber,” said Garrett Sheehan, incoming President and CEO of the Greater New Haven Chamber. “They are going to take a collaborative approach, and a key step is education, which is something calls like this provide.”

“Bring your projects, we have capital”

There is plenty of money available to finance cost-saving clean energy upgrades, said the Connecticut Green Bank’s President Bryan Garcia.

Bryan Garcia

“We are focused on driving and attracting more investment in clean energy because those are the foundations to economic growth and job creation,” Garcia said. One important tool for doing this is through a program known as Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy or C-PACE.

“C-PACE is an innovative and affordable way for businesses, manufacturing, and nonprofits to pay for clean energy improvements. It pays for 100 percent of the project costs with no money down,” said Garcia, adding: “It immediately increases cash flow while improving the overall value of the building.”

The Middlesex Chamber of Commerce recently teamed up with the Green Bank to bring C-PACE to its members. (Stay tuned for more information.)

“Energy is a critical issue to all our members and our Chamber, and we’re seeing C-PACE get more and more traction,” said Jeff Pugliese, Vice President of the Middlesex Chamber. 

Sen. Winfield asked Local Chambers to voice their clean energy support to their legislators, saying:

 “Chambers have a lot of influence in this building and have a lot of business owners who have influence. That influence should be used to express to legislators that clean energy funds will benefit the state of Connecticut.” He added, “It is not even a bipartisan issue, it is a nonpartisan issue.”

Chambers for Innovation and Clean Energy (CICE) will continue to keep you informed as these issues move forward. If your chamber is interested in learning more about how your members can benefit from C-PACE financing, contact Jessica Bergman of CICE at Jessica@ChambersforInnovation.com.

26 Local Chambers in CT, and Governor, Show Strong Interest in Clean Energy

Breaking new ground, 26 local chambers of commerce—half of all chambers across Connecticut—gathered this month for a conversation about clean energy with Gov. Dannel P. Malloy, the Connecticut Green Bank, and the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.

“Local chambers of commerce play an important role in helping Connecticut continue to prosper from the growing economic development opportunities of cleaner, cheaper, more reliable energy,” said Gov. Malloy.

Rich Brown, Vice President of the MetroHartford Alliance chamber and event cohost said: “We see clean energy as a great economic development opportunity that helps us retrain and attract businesses.”

As a result of the event:

“We have a growing number of member companies already working in clean energy, including our utilities, and more that are diversifying to capture the market for energy efficiency retrofits and renewable energy.”

— Rich Brown, VP Investor Relations, MetroHartford Alliance

• Nearly a dozen local chambers signed up to work with the Green Bank to inform their member businesses about affordable, long-term financing options through the Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy (C-PACE) program.

• The Hartford Chamber and Connecticut Economic Development Association kicked off this educational effort within a week of the event by bringing the Green Bank to its lunch- and-learn series.

• Several chambers signed up to learn more about Connecticut’s new 2016 Comprehensive Energy Strategy (CES) to project future energy needs, ensure reliability, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuels.

The Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) also invited chambers to comment on the draft CES, which is expected to be released this fall.

“The voice of business has significant influence on our legislative discussion about energy efficiency,” added DEEP Deputy Commissioner Katie Scharf Dykes.” Sending your input in writing is invaluable to increasing funding for these programs and ensuring availability throughout the year.”

In addition to the MetroHartford Alliance, the event was cohosted by the Greater New Haven Chamber, Connecticut Green Bank, Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, and Chambers for Innovation and Clean Energy.

Pictured at top: Mackey Dykes, Vice President for C&I Programs, Connecticut Green Bank; Rebecca Nolan, Vice President, Global & Domestic Business Development, MetroHartford Alliance; CT Governor Dan Malloy; Jessica Bergman, New England Programs and Engagement Director, Chambers for Innovation & Clean Energy; Katie Dykes, Deputy Commissioner for Energy, Department of Energy and Environmental Protection; Tony Rescigno, President and CEO, Greater New Haven Chamber of Commerce; Rich Brown, Vice President of Investor Relations, MetroHartford Alliance.