News Releases - 2026

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• 9/22/2026 MEDIA ADVISORY: DEEP and Town of Waterford to Announce Completion of Niantic River State Boat Launch Overflow Parking

  (HARTFORD) — The Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection (DEEP), in partnership with the Town of Waterford, will announce the completion of significant improvements to the Niantic River State Boat Launch overflow parking area located at 371 and 365 Mago Point Way, Waterford on Wednesday. The upgraded lot expands and improves public access to the Niantic River and Long Island Sound while supporting revitalization efforts within the Mago Point business district.

• 9/21/2026 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 conflicts with black bears this fall.

• 9/17/2026 DEEP Environmental Conservation Police Investigating Untimely Death at Algonquin State Forest

  (HARTFORD) — The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection’s (DEEP) Environmental Conservation Police (EnCon) are investigating an untimely death at Secret Lake in Algonquin State Forest in the town of Winsted.

• 9/17/2026 DEEP Seeks Broad Public Input on Development of Connecticut's Next Comprehensive Energy Strategy

  (HARTFORD)—The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) today issued a request for public comments from interested stakeholders and members of the public on the key strategic questions DEEP should examine in the state’s next Comprehensive Energy Strategy (CES).

• 9/15/2026 Governor Lamont, Attorney General Tong, Acting Commissioner Cimino Criticize Trump Administration Repeal of Carbon Pollution Standards for Power Plants

  (HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont, Attorney General William Tong, and Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection Acting Commissioner Emma Cimino are criticizing the Trump administration’s announcement today that it finalized its repeal of carbon pollution standards for power plants.

• 9/14/2026 Fall Archery Deer and Turkey Season Opens in September

  (HARTFORD)—Connecticut’s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) reminds residents that the 2026 fall archery hunting season for deer and turkey on state and private land opens on Tuesday, September 15.

• 9/11/2026 EnCon Police Identify Victim of Fatal Fall in Kent

  (HARTFORD) — The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection’s (DEEP) Environmental Conservation Police (EnCon), along with CT State Police, responded to the Appalachian Trail on River Rd in the town of Kent on Thursday afternoon for the report of a fall victim.

• 9/10/2026 Bat Appreciation Day to Be Held at Old New-Gate Prison and Copper Mine on Sept. 19

  (HARTFORD)—Join the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) Wildlife Division and the Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD) for a celebration of bat conservation at the Old New-Gate Prison and Copper Mine in East Granby on Saturday, September 19, 2026, from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. The event highlights the Old New-Gate Prison and Copper Mine’s critical role as winter habitat for state-endangered bat species that have experienced significant population declines, while also recognizing the site’s unique place in Connecticut’s history.

• 9/8/2026 New Haven Man's Body Recovered From Connecticut River in Windsor

  (HARTFORD) — DEEP Environmental Conservation (EnCon) Police responded on Sunday evening September 6, 2026, to a reported personal watercraft (“Jet Ski®”-type) accident on the Connecticut River, near the Bissell Bridge Boat Launch in Windsor. The report indicated that a person was missing in the water.

• 9/2/2026 DEEP Reminds Residents and Visitors to Exercise Caution in and Around Water at State Swim Areas

  (HARTFORD, CT)— As the summer season wraps up, the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) reminds residents and visitors to follow water safety guidelines in and around the water, especially as lifeguard coverage at State Park swimming areas will be reduced over the Labor Day weekend.

• 8/28/2026 MEDIA ADVISORY: DEEP to Welcome Local Firefighters Returning from Fighting Minnesota Wildfires

  (HARTFORD)—On Friday, August 28, the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP)’s Forestry Division will welcome back a 10-person wildland firefighting crew that has been assisting with wildfire suppression efforts on the Bear Trap fire in northeastern Minnesota. The crew departed from DEEP’s Eastern District Headquarters (EDHQ) in Marlborough on August 11th, 2026, and will return there on Friday, August 28, 2026. An additional engine crew of 4 returned to Connecticut on Saturday, August 22, 2026. Four additional crew members were deployed on Friday, August 21st, to replace this engine crew.

• 8/27/2026 Migratory Bird Hunting Seasons Starting Soon

  (HARTFORD) — Connecticut’s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) today announced the dates for 2026-2027 migratory bird hunting seasons, which include seasons for ducks, geese, woodcock, snipe, rails, and crows. Some key dates include:

• 8/25/2026 Governor Lamont Announces Connecticut Files Opposition to Trump Administration’s Proposed Rule Ending Federal Energy Efficiency Standards for Appliances and Consumer Products

  (HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont announced today that his administration has submitted a filing in opposition to a Trump administration proposed rule that seeks to roll back federal energy efficiency standards for appliances and consumer products. If finalized, this rollback means that Americans will have access to less efficient products, resulting in more wasted energy and higher utility bills.

• 8/20/2026 Governor Lamont Announces Connecticut and Other New England States To Host Regional Nuclear Summit

  (HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont today announced that the State of Connecticut is joining its neighbor New England states—including Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont—to host a regional policy summit that will explore the potential role of advanced nuclear technologies in the region’s evolving energy system.

• 8/18/2026 Governor Lamont and Attorney General Tong Cite Concerns Over Rising Energy Costs in Criticism of Proposed NextEra-Dominion Merger

  (HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont and Attorney General William Tong today announced that the State of Connecticut is intervening in the regulatory review of the proposed merger between NextEra Energy and Dominion Energy, arguing it poses a great risk to Connecticut families who already face unaffordable energy costs. The $67 billion merger would create one of the world’s largest utility companies and place control of all of New England’s nuclear power under one entity, effectively eliminating price competition for a resource that provides a majority of the state’s power.