Mansfield Leading the Way with Renewable Energy
January 2007
An agreement was signed between the Town of Mansfield and Community Energy, Inc. that commit the Town to purchase clean, renewable energy that offsets 4% percent of the municipality’s electrical use. This amount increases 4% each July until 2010, when the Town will be purchasing clean, renewable energy equal to 20%. The clean energy choice is being supplied by wind energy marketer and developer Community Energy.
“We’re proud to step up as a leader in the field of local government, and to do our part for the environment. Our citizens recognize and value the commitment we’ve made to a safe and secure energy future. It’s pleasing to know that our day to day operations are now being powered in part by clean, renewable energy. We hope others will follow our lead and make the choice as well,” says Matt Hart, Mansfield’s Town Manager.
Over the course of four years, 2,684,085 kilowatt hours (kWhs) of renewable electricity will enter the regional grids on behalf of the Town of Mansfield. Compared to the generation mix in the regional electric grid, the environmental benefit from this purchase is equivalent to planting 182,057 trees or not driving 2,321,948 miles.
Community Energy President Brent Alderfer states, “The Town of Mansfield has stepped up as a leader in Connecticut. Their renewable energy purchase puts their energy dollars to work to benefit the state economically and environmentally. As more customers choose to follow their lead and purchase renewable energy, we can bring more clean power resources online to meet that demand.”
Mansfield started on the path toward becoming a clean energy community in July 2005 when the town council unanimously passed a resolution committing to the SmartPower 20% by 2010 campaign. The Connecticut Clean Energy Communities program is a partnership between the Connecticut Clean Energy Fund and Hartford-based SmartPower. By signing on, the town committed to purchase clean, renewable energy that offsets 20% percent of the municipality’s electrical use. As an incentive, for every 100 Mansfield electrical ratepayers that select the CleanEnergyOption, the Town will receive a free solar panel. Over 232 Mansfield households are offsetting their electrical use with clean sources of wind, small hydro and landfill gas. Since more than 2.5% of Mansfield’s electrical users have signed up for the CleanEnergyOption, the municipality has qualified for three 1-kilowatt photovoltaic panels. The panels will be installed on E. O. Smith High School’s roof. More panels will be added as they are earned. If you are interested in learning more about Mansfield’s clean energy program, go to http://www.ctinnovations.com/communities/Mansfield.php
