News Releases - 2025

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• 12/4/2025 Governor Lamont and Commissioner Dykes Statements on Trump Administration’s Rollback of Fuel Economy Standards

  (HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont and Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection Commissioner Katie Dykes today released the following statements regarding a proposal announced by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to roll back federal fuel economy standards, which have been supported by federal administrations from both parties since 1975 and have helped Americans use less gas

• 12/4/2025 DEEP and CTDOT Celebrate Tunnel Lighting Project Completion on Hop River State Park Trail

  (HARTFORD) — The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) and the Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) are pleased to announce the completed installation of lighting in a 400-foot tunnel along the Hop River State Park Trail within Bolton Notch State Park. The project improves visibility for the many walkers, runners, and cyclists who use the trail each day.

• 12/3/2025 DEEP Announces New Inland Sportfish Regulations Focused on Conserving Wild Brook Trout

  (HARTFORD) — The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) announced today that sportfishing regulations for the Inland District will be updated January 1, 2026. Most notably, the updated regulations provide additional protections for declining populations of brook trout, the only species of trout native to Connecticut. Decades of monitoring by DEEP biologists shows a clear trend of reduced range and abundance of brook trout in the state. Brook trout require cold water to survive and flourish, meaning that they are particularly susceptible to the impacts of our warming climate.

• 12/2/2025 MEDIA ADVISORY: DEEP and CTDOT Celebrate Tunnel Lighting Project Completion on Hop River State Park Trail

  (HARTFORD)--The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) and the Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) will hold an event to celebrate the completion of a lighting installation in a 400-foot tunnel along the Hop River State Park Trail within Bolton Notch State Park. The project enhances visitor safety and accessibility for walkers, runners, and cyclists by improving visibility in the curved tunnel, straddled by natural rock outcrops and watercourses.

• 12/1/2025 DEEP To Hold First Public Informational Workshop to Explore New Nuclear Energy Capacity in Connecticut December 10th

  (HARTFORD) - The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) will hold the first in a series of public informational workshops with nationally recognized experts on key issues involved in new nuclear development on Wednesday, December 10th.

• 11/26/2025 Celebrate the 2025 Winter Holidays at Two Connecticut State Parks

  (HARTFORD) – The winter holiday season is upon us, and the Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection (DEEP) State Parks & Public Outreach Division celebrates with the festive transformation of two of its historic homes: Osborne Homestead Museum in Derby and Gillette Castle in East Haddam.

• 10/29/2025 Governor Lamont Announces $7.5 Million in Grants Awarded to 18 Municipalities and Regional Organizations To Support Sustainable Waste Reduction

  (HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont and Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) Commissioner Katie Dykes today announced that the Lamont administration is awarding $7.5 million in grants to 18 municipalities and regional organizations under the second round of DEEP’s Sustainable Materials Management (SMM) Grant Program.

• 10/24/2025 DEEP Seeking Public Comment on Draft RFP for Paddlecraft Rentals in Five CT State Parks

  (HARTFORD, CT) — As part of its Partnership in Parks Initiative, the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) is seeking public comment on a draft Request for Proposal (RFP) for paddlecraft rentals in five Connecticut State Parks. Comments are due November 7, 2025.

• 10/23/2025 DEEP Launches Informational Process to Explore New Nuclear Energy Capacity in Connecticut

  (HARTFORD) - The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) is launching an informational process to explore new nuclear capacity in Connecticut. Advanced nuclear reactors, including Small Modular Reactors (SMRs), fusion machines, and other advanced designs, are gaining considerable national interest as a potential source of safe, firm, dispatchable, carbon-free generation.

• 10/22/2025 Connecticut Celebrates Bat Week October 24 - 31

  (HARTFORD) — The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) is celebrating the importance of bats during Bat Week, an international event celebrated annually during the week before Halloween. Bats play a critical role in ecosystems worldwide and provide tremendous value to humans in a variety of ways. Bats in North America also currently face an unprecedented population crisis, making it even more important to call attention to these often-misunderstood creatures.

• 10/20/2025 DEEP Requests Proposals for Grants for Aquatic Invasive Species Control on Lakes, Ponds, and Rivers

  (HARTFORD) – The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) is now accepting proposals for the Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) Grant Program for 2026. Applications will be accepted through December 10, 2025. Please visit the DEEP AIS Grant Program website for details on how to apply for 2026 grants.

• 10/9/2025 DEEP Urges Residents to Avoid Conflicts with Bears this Fall

  (HARTFORD) — The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) strongly urges residents to follow best practices to reduce the likelihood of a conflict with a black bear this fall.

• 10/8/2025 DEEP Announces $750,000 in Brownfield Remediation Grants

  (HARTFORD) — The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) is pleased to announce the release of $750,000 in grants under Round 2 of DEEP’s Brownfield Grant Program to support the assessment and remediation of contaminated properties in four municipalities across Connecticut, consisting of approximately 27 acres of land. Funding is provided by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) State and Tribal Response Program.

• 10/2/2025 DEEP launches 2025 DEEP Climate Resilience Fund

  (HARTFORD) — The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) is pleased to announce a call for applications and a draft Request for Proposals under an expanded DEEP Climate Resilience Fund. DEEP is making available up to $33 million in state funds and up to $11.8 million in federal funds for projects that protect communities and critical infrastructure from extreme weather. This opportunity is open to municipalities, non-profit organizations, and other entities, and includes new funding categories that will support a wide range of community and energy resilience projects. In recent years, Connecticut has experienced widespread impacts from extreme weather, including historic flooding in the Naugatuck Valley, unprecedented wildfires, and the hottest summer weather on record. These climate-driven hazards have caused hundreds of millions of dollars in damage to homes, roads, bridges, and businesses. Connecticut’s communities have endured these recent challenges from extreme weather just as federal support for resilience is becoming less certain.

• 10/1/2025 DEEP Reminds Boaters that Paddlers are Required to Wear Life Jackets Starting October 1

  (HARTFORD) – The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) reminds boaters that state law requires anyone operating a canoe, kayak, stand-up paddleboard or other manually-propelled vessel between October 1 and May 31 must wear a personal floatation device (PFD).