Energy infrastructure upgrades crucial, New England leaders told
HARTFORD >> Connecticut and the rest of New England could face the possibility of blackouts in the future if the region fails to upgrade its energy infrastructure, particularly natural gas transmission lines, the state’s consumer counsel said Thursday.
“A capacity deficiency is not a scare tactic,” Elin Swanson-Katz said during a panel discussion that was part of an energy summit at the Connecticut Convention Center with of five of New England’s six governors attending. “Taken to an extreme, that means rolling blackouts. We need more energy options.”
Connecticut Gov. Dannel P. Malloy focused more on the cost of producing electricity, during his public remarks at the forum and speaking after the closed-door meeting with his fellow governors. But Dennis Schain, a spokesman for Connecticut’s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, said Malloy “clearly recognizes and would readily acknowledge that there are reliability issues that are associated with this.”
