Allan Appel Photo
Destiny Furlow and Kourtney Capley modeling the Youth Conservation Corps bikes.
Three signs that a “green” summer has sprung in New Haven:
• New solar arrays are going on to the roofs of eleven schools and the Goffe Street Armory.
• The city’s purchasing 100 percent of its power from renewable green sources.
• Eleven high-schoolers on bright white bicycles, including Destiny Furlow, will begin knocking Thursday on 10,000 doors from the Hill to Fair Haven to offer United Illuminating energy audits and potentially $1,000 worth of energy conservation materials and services to qualifying households.
Mayor Toni Harp cited those three examples at a press conference Wednesday afternoon as she announced the launch of “New Haven Clean Energy Summer” in front of 40 assembled climate activists on the second floor of City Hall.
The mayor put these developments, enumerated by City Engineer Giovanni Zinn, in the larger context of the city’s moving, well, full steam ahead on a commitment to finish its Climate and Sustainability Framework documents and as part of the city’s participation in the Mayors’ Compact the latter an international group of 626 cities pledged to address climate change on their own without help from the Trump administration.
The mayor said she hopes to have the Board of Alders review and approve the framework by the end of Clean Energy Summer.
Zinn said that among the biggest new developments to look forward to sustainability-wise are the augmenting of the current eight solar arrays around town, with 12 more on city schools and the armory.
That will double the output from solar sources from one to two and a half megawatts, he said.
The mayor, with Zinn and climate activist Chris Schweitzer.
Zinn thanked the local climate activist community for holding city officials’ feet to the fire to pursue such green goals.
Having 100 percent of the city’s power purchased from renewable sources will result in a reduction of 12,500 tons of carbon emissions into the air, Zinn said.
That will also cost the city an estimated $100,000 less than if the power were purchased off the traditional grid. That shows that “green and sustainable also benefits the bottom line,” he added.
The final component of Clean Energy Summer featured at the presser is the contribution of the Youth Conservation Corps. Now in its third year, the corps of high school kids ride throughout the city during the summer with applications in hand from United Illuminating’s home energy audit program.
Program Manager Maritza Estremera said the 11 teens in the Youth Conservation Corps will hit approximately 10,000 homes in Newhallville, Dwight, the Hill, and Fair Haven.
Each visit takes about five or ten minutes, said one of the young supervisors, Kourtney Capley. The idea is not to do the survey itself, but to suggest L.E.D. lights and offer a homeowner a chance to have UI conduct a free survey and energy audit. Audits potentially lead to households receiving up to $1,000 worth of energy-reducing materials and services.
Destiny Furlow, a Hillhouse High School student, is one of the first lucky 11 members of the Conservation Corps, which thus far is funded by UI. and Southern Connecticut Gas Company. The young people range from 13 to 17 years old, work 25 hours a week and earn $10.10 per hour, Capley said.
City Youth Services Director Jason Bartlett said he hopes to triple the size of the Youth Conservation Corps with a $40,000 grant from an education foundation. He reiterated that the city is committed to finding alternate sources for these and the approximate 450 Youth At Work summer jobs that the state has funded in past years, but not this cash-strapped year.
A UI representatives accopmanies with the Conservation Corps teens in case a homeowner wants to jump right in and have the audit. Bartlett said that over the last two years 300 home audits have been triggered this way.
After working on the audits, corps members will fan throughout the city doing beautification, painting, and other projects in coordination with the city parks and rec department, Bartlett said.
“We applaud Toni Harp, [but] I’m here to see that she and the city are accountable for transitioning to 100 percent clean renewable energy as soon as possible,” said Connecticut Sierra Club Executive Committee member Diane Lentakis.
