Power Outages No Longer A Problem For Woodbridge

Woodbridge received a $3 million grant from the Connecticut Microgrid Grant and Loan program last week, the largest grant amount awarded in a new state program in emergency preparedness.

The grant, one of nine awarded as part of a pilot program, will be put toward building a microgrid connecting all of the municipal buildings in the Town Center, including Amity High School.

“This is very exciting news for Woodbridge,” First Selectman Ellen Scalettar said. “All of our residents will be the beneficiaries of this new, cutting edge technology.”

Scalettar credited the success of the town’s application to the foresight of the late First Selectman Edward Maum Sheehy, who championed the effort. She also thanked the town employees who worked so hard to prepare the application, including Tony Genovese, Woodbridge Director of Administration and Finance, Joseph Hellauer, Woodbridge Administrative Officer and Jim Saisa, Facilities manager of the Amity Regional School District.

A microgrid provides locally generated electricity combined with underground transmission lines so that the critical Town facilities can continue to operate during power outages.

“Local distributed generation will provide reliable energy during emergencies for our critical facilities, including the Police Department, Fire Department, the Senior Center and Amity High School,” Scalettar said.

“Microgrids play a major role in our efforts to modernize and harden our infrastructure to withstand severe weather,” Governor Dannel Malloy said. “These projects will help protect residents and vital public services even when the power goes out, and in doing so allow us to provide critical services during times of emergency.”

Malloy recommended an additional $30 million be put toward the program over the next two years.

The program will be managed through the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP).

“As we move forward with future rounds of funding, we will continue to shape the program to best fit the needs of Connecticut communities,” DEEP Commissioner Daniel Esty said. “By employing microgrids, we will improve public safety and reduce the inconvenience for our residents when any future power outages occur.”