04/01/2020
DEEP Official to Help Steer National Clean Energy Collaborative
Group will help states achieve 100% clean energy goals
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Lauren Savidge, director of energy supply for the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP), has been named a member of the Advisory Committee of the 100% Clean Energy Collaborative, an initiative launched today by the Clean Energy States Alliance.
Fourteen states and the District of Columbia have now set 100% clean energy goals, and the collaborative is meant to provide them with a forum for information sharing and cooperation on program development in order to help speed progress toward achieving those goals.
In 2019, Connecticut became one of those 14 states pursuing a 100% clean energy goal, when Gov. Ned Lamont directed DEEP to evaluate pathways to transition the state to a 100% clean energy grid by 2040 in Executive Order No. 3. DEEP is evaluating these pathways in the state’s Integrated Resources Plan proceeding.
“DEEP is proud to be working with other states around the country that are adopting 100% clean energy goals,” DEEP Commissioner Katie Dykes said. “Through investments in offshore wind, solar, and nuclear generation, our state has already made significant investments that have put Connecticut well on our way to meet a 100% carbon-free grid.”
The Clean Energy States Alliance (CESA) is a national nonprofit coalition of public agencies and organizations working together to advance clean energy. According to CESA, its membership is mostly composed of state agencies, and includes many of the most innovative, successful, and influential public funders of clean energy initiatives in the country.
The 100% Clean Energy Collaborative will primarily consist of state officials with responsibilities for achieving 100% goals and policymakers in other states that are considering establishing similar goals. An advisory committee composed of state officials from California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Nevada, New York, and Washington, as well as other clean energy experts, will help CESA to establish work plans, communications strategies, and fundraising activities for this multi-year effort.
“We are at a critical juncture to swiftly cut greenhouse gas emissions,” Savidge said. “Coordination of our clean-grid efforts is critical to share best practices to achieve significant decarbonization and keep ratepayer costs low in the face of new resource buildout. I am proud to represent Connecticut in this collaborative effort.”
Vicki Hackett, DEEP’s deputy commissioner of energy, said Savidge would be a strong asset for the collaborative.
“Lauren Savidge, DEEP’s energy supply director, brings significant expertise to this collaborative effort for states to learn best practices in achieving carbon-free electricity at least cost, while maintaining reliability and providing economic opportunity,” Hackett said.
According to CESA, collaborative participants will share program insights and learning, engage with analysts who are studying solutions to technical challenges, and participate in collaborative meetings by teleconference and in person. As the collaborative gains support, it will ramp up to allow for more intensive engagement, including the provision of individualized technical assistance for states and the development of multi-state implementation strategies.
For more information about the collaborative, visit https://cesa.org/projects/100-clean-energy-collaborative
For more information about Connecticut’s energy goals, visit https://portal.ct.gov/DEEP/Energy/Energy
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