- United States
- Conn.
- Letter
Connecticut has emerged as a national leader in renewable energy, especially in the burgeoning offshore wind and fuel cell industries. With its unique position as the largest maritime hub in the Northeast, deep water ports capable of handling heavy offshore wind components, and a robust manufacturing ecosystem centered around aerospace, defense and precision manufacturing, the state is primed to drive the expansion of offshore wind energy along the East Coast. Connecticut has already committed to procuring 2,000MW of offshore wind power - enough to power 1 million homes. The state is also a globally recognized center of fuel cell innovation and manufacturing, ranking 3rd in the nation for fuel cell patents. It is home to the two largest fuel cell power projects in North America as well as leading fuel cell manufacturers. This expertise stems from Connecticut's history powering NASA missions with fuel cells since the 1960s. Given its clear leadership position, I urge increased federal support and incentives to accelerate the growth of Connecticut's renewable energy industry clusters. Robust policies promoting renewables will enable these companies to scale production, drive down costs through economies of scale, and advance innovation - benefiting the entire nation's transition to clean energy sources. Connecticut's progress demonstrates that with the right public-private commitment, the U.S. can rapidly build a thriving renewable energy economy.