(HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont today released the following statement on the U.S. Supreme Court decision in West Virginia v. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency:
“This is another example of the Supreme Court advancing an ideological agenda that serves special interests, but not the national interest. We are running out of time as a nation to take action and prevent the worst impacts of the climate crisis. We have made climate action a priority of our administration and I’m proud of the progress we’ve made in Connecticut. I’ll continue to do everything I can to ensure Connecticut continues to lead the way, and I’ll keep working collaboratively with governors across the nation to ensure we’re doing everything we can as states to reduce carbon pollution. The climate crisis requires a national strategy and federal inaction is unacceptable. I urge Congress to enact meaningful legislation to avert this crisis.”
Background
The transportation sector is America’s largest source of greenhouse gas emissions. This year, Governor Lamont worked with the state legislature to reduce transportation-related emissions by increasing incentives for electric vehicles, electrifying the state fleet and local school buses, and adopting California’s emissions standards for medium and heavy-duty vehicles. He has also directed his administration to accelerate the infrastructure projects necessary to support electric vehicles and to enhance rail and bus service that residents can use as a climate and wallet-friendly alternative to motor vehicles.
The electrical sector is America’s next-largest source of greenhouse gas emissions. Governor Lamont signed an executive order and then successfully championed a bill committing Connecticut to a carbon-free electric supply by 2040. Under his leadership, Connecticut has made substantial progress toward that goal by:
- Restoring full funding to the state’s energy efficiency programs;
- Preserving the Millstone Nuclear Power Station and its cost-competitive, zero-carbon generation capacity; and
- Investing in grid-scale and distributed solar projects, battery storage technology, and the offshore wind projects that will soon provide 20% of Connecticut electricity supply and make the state a major hub of this emerging industry.
Thanks to those efforts, Connecticut’s electric supply is 65% carbon-free today and will be 91% carbon-free when the offshore wind projects come online in 2026.
Governor Lamont is also helping residents and businesses reduce emissions and reduce costs throughout the economy, from new funding for climate-smart agriculture to workforce training programs that will equip the next generation of contractors with the skills they need to install energy efficient HVAC systems and appliances.
Connecticut is a founding member of the U.S. Climate Alliance, a bipartisan coalition of 24 governors who have committed their states to achieve the Paris Agreement’s goal of keeping temperature increases below 1.5 degrees Celsius.