Anne Hughes

Please check out my weekly update below, which includes information on the following:

• Extreme Hot Weather Protocol Extended Through Tuesday A.M.
• Connecticut Offers Expert Advice on Heat Pumps
• This Week in U.S. History: Voting Rights Act
• Primary Elections Reminder

Thank you for taking the time to read it!

Temperatures in the state are expected to remain very high for the next several days, so Connecticut’s extreme hot weather protocol will remain in effect through 8 a.m. on Tuesday.

The protocol was activated on Tuesday, and was initially set to expire on Friday. However, the most recent forecast indicates that oppressive humidity is expected to continue into the weekend and early next week.

Anyone in need of a cooling center should call 2-1-1 or look online at 211ct.org to find their nearest available location.

Although anyone can suffer from heat-related illness, some people are at greater risk than others:

• Infants and young children are sensitive to the effects of high temperatures and rely on others to regulate their environments and provide adequate liquids
• People 65 years of age or older may not compensate for heat stress efficiently and are less likely to sense and respond to change in temperature
• People who are overweight may be prone to heat sickness because of their tendency to retain more body heat
• People who overexert during work or exercise may become dehydrated and susceptible to heat sickness
• People who are physically ill, especially those with heart disease or high blood pressure, or who take certain medications, such as for depression, insomnia, or poor circulation, may be affected by extreme heat

Some prevention tips to stay safe in extreme heat include:

• Keep your body temperature cool to avoid heat-related illness
• Stay in air-conditioned buildings as much as possible. If you must be outdoors, try to limit your outdoor activity to the morning and evening. Try to rest often in shady areas so that your body has a chance to cool off
• Find an air-conditioned shelter. (Call 2-1-1 for a list of cooling centers.) Do not rely on a fan as your primary cooling device
• Avoid direct sunlight
• Wear lightweight, light-colored clothing
• Take cool showers or baths
• Check on those most at-risk several times a day
• Pets that cannot be brought indoors should be provided ready access to water and shade to keep them cool
• Never leave pets inside of parked vehicles because temperatures can soar to life-threatening levels within minutes

Electric heat pumps are an important part of Connecticut’s energy efficiency program as the state seeks to speed adoption with a free consultation service and significant rebates.

EnergizeCT has contracted with Massachusetts-based Abode, an energy management company, to operate the consultation service and develop a statewide network of trained heat pump installers. Abode operates similar programs in Massachusetts that have so far resulted in the installation of close to 2,200 heat pumps in 13 communities.

Ratepayers can sign up for a virtual chat session with a heat pump expert on the EnergizeCT website. Since the service started in late May, Abode has conducted more than 100 consultations lasting an average of 45 minutes each.

Connecticut's two electric distribution companies (EDCs), Eversource and United Illuminating, which run EnergizeCT, are also in the process of overhauling the program’s website to better promote heat pump technology. 

Air-source heat pumps are heating and cooling systems that run on electricity instead of fossil fuels. They move heat outside in the summer and inside in the winter. They are highly efficient and can significantly lower energy bills when paired with home weatherization. 

The Voting Rights Act contained extensive measures to dismantle Jim Crow segregation and combat racial discrimination. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 removed barriers to black enfranchisement in the South, banning poll taxes, literacy tests, and other measures that effectively prevented African Americans from voting. It was was readopted and strengthened in 1970, 1975, and 1982. 

Peace,

Anne Hughes
State Representative