Newsletter 9/3/2022

September 3, 2022

Happy September! I hope you have a safe and restful Labor Day weekend. 

In this week's email, you can find information on:

  • Energy Assistance Program Application is Now Open
  • Commission on Community Gun Violence Intervention and Prevention Meeting
  • Overdose Awareness Day
  • Inflation Reduction Act
Energy Assistance Program Application is Now Open
The application period for the 2022-2023 winter season of the Connecticut Energy Assistance Program (CEAP) is now open! This program provides crucial support to vulnerable Connecticut  homeowners and renters with the costs of heating their homes.

If you are interested, there are several ways to submit your application: 

  • Online at ct.gov/heatinghelp/apply.
  • Call the office of your local community action agency and request assistance applying, or schedule an in-person appointment  
  • Download and complete the CEAP application, and mail the completed application with the required documents to your local community action agency. 

The contact information and addresses of Connecticut's community action agencies can be found here
 
Benefits are based on your household’s income and number of family members. Benefits are available for households with incomes up to 60% of the state median income, which equates to roughly $76,400 for a family of four. 

Typically, benefits are  paid directly to the utility company or fuel supplier. Households that heat with deliverable fuels like oil or propane may be eligible for multiple free tank fills.

Applications for the 2022-2023 winter season must be received by May 31, 2023

If you’d like more information, click here, call 2-1-1.

 
Commission on Community Gun Violence Intervention and Prevention Meeting
The newly established Commission on Community Gun Violence Intervention and Prevention held its first meeting on Wednesday, August 31.

The commission, which was created through  legislation that was signed into law during the 2022 legislative session, will advise the Connecticut Department of Public Health on a new community gun violence intervention and prevention program that will provide state grants to community-based violence intervention organizations. 

Click here to watch the complete meeting. 

 
Overdose Awareness Day

Accidental drug overdose deaths in Connecticut reached a record high in 2021. With an average two people dying of a drug overdose every day in Connecticut, it is important to remember that these are not just statistics, they are each individual people with their own lives, families and struggles and stories that got them to where they are. Addiction is an illness that should be treated just as any other medical condition. 

Governor Lamont declared August 31st "Overdose Awareness Day." It is important that we join families, advocates, friends, nonprofits, mentors, lawmakers, hospitals and healthcare providers in raising awareness of overdoses, reducing the stigma of drug-related deaths, and acknowledging the grief felt by so many both within Connecticut and across the United States. 

The legislature has made addressing the opioid crisis a priority. During this year's session, HB 5044 was signed into law. This bill dedicates about $300 million to combat opioid addiction in the state.

If you or someone you know needs support or treatments, please reach out to the many services offered in the state. To get connected to these resources, visit www.liveloud.org or call 1-800-563-4086 any time, 24 hours a day.

 
Inflation Reduction Act
The Inflation Reduction Act is the most aggressive action on tackling the climate crisis in American history. Here's how it tackles the climate crisis right here in Connecticut!

Connecticut families and communities will benefit from a clean energy future by saving on their utility bills, getting tax credits for electric vehicles and energy-saving appliances, and accessing the economic opportunities of the clean energy future.
 
LOWER ENERGY COSTS - The Inflation Reduction Act will make it more affordable for Connecticut families to purchase energy efficient appliances when they need to, make repairs around their homes, and save money on their utility bills each month, through:

  • Rebates covering 50-100% of the cost of installing new electric appliances, including super-efficient heat pumps, water heaters, clothes dryers, stoves, and ovens. In Connecticut, hundreds of thousands of low- and moderate-income households are eligible for rebates.
  • Rebates for households to make repairs and improvements in single-family and multi-family homes to increase energy efficiency.
  • Tax credits covering 30% of the costs to install solar panels and battery storage systems, make home improvements that reduce energy leakage, or upgrade heating and cooling equipment. No income limits apply. For solar, uptake projections estimate that over 60,000 additional Connecticut households will install rooftop panels as a result.
  • Tax credits covering 30% of the costs of community solar projects—owned by local businesses that sign up families to save on their electric bills—with additional bonus credits of 20% for projects at affordable housing properties and 10% for projects in low-income communities.
  • Grants to help state and local governments adopt the latest building energy codes, which would save the average new homeowner in Connecticut 8.8% on their utility bills—$301 annually. 

GOOD-PAYING JOBS: In 2021, there were already 41,458 Connecticut workers employed in clean energy jobs. The Inflation Reduction Act will expand these opportunities, bringing an estimated $630 million of investment in large-scale clean power generation and storage to Connecticut between now and 2030. It provides a historic set of tax credits that will create jobs across solar, wind, storage, and other clean energy industries. These credits include bonuses for businesses that pay a prevailing wage, so that Connecticut workers earn a good paycheck as we build the clean energy future in America.
 
DOMESTIC MANUFACTURING - Manufacturers employ 153,400 workers in Connecticut, and the Inflation Reduction Act will help us make the technologies of the future at home— supporting local economies and strengthening supply chains. The Inflation Reduction Act will boost U.S. manufacturing of clean energy and transportation technologies, as well as investments for a new Advanced Industrial Facilities Deployment Program to position America to lead the growing global market for clean steel, aluminum, cement, and more.

SMALL BUSINESSES: Connecticut is home to 355,596 small businesses, representing 99.4% of all businesses in the state, and the Inflation Reduction Act will help them save money. Commercial building owners can receive a tax credit up to $5 per square foot to support energy efficiency improvements that deliver lower utility bills. Other programs that will benefit small businesses include tax credits covering 30% of the costs of installing low-cost solar power and of purchasing clean trucks and vans for commercial fleets.
 
ELECTRIC VEHICLES - The Inflation Reduction Act will make it easier and cheaper to purchase an electric vehicle, with upfront discounts up to $7,500 for new EVs and $4,000 for used EVs, helping middle-class Americans skip the gas pump and save on fuel costs. In Connecticut, millions of people will be eligible for these discounts. Connecticut recently submitted a state plan for using funds from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to build out EV charging stations along highways.
 
CLEANER AIR -The Inflation Reduction Act will significantly reduce pollution, resulting in 100,000 fewer asthma attacks in America in 2030, and position the U.S. to achieve President Biden’s climate goals. Lowering greenhouse gas emissions will not only avoid costly climate impacts from more extreme weather, but also improve local air quality - preventing premature deaths and reducing air pollution. In addition to reducing pollution across the economy, the Act will benefit communities most in need of cleaner air, with in environmental justice block grants, investments for cleaner buses and trucks, and a Clean Energy and Sustainability Accelerator that will prioritize emissions-reducing projects in disadvantaged communities and fund state and local green banks like the Connecticut Green Bank.
 
RURAL OPPORTUNITIES: The Inflation Reduction Act supports climate-smart agriculture practices, which will help Connecticut’s 5,500 farms lead on climate solutions and reward their stewardship. Electric cooperatives will for the first time be eligible for direct-pay clean energy tax credits.
 
RESILIENT COMMUNITIES -The Inflation Reduction Act will upgrade affordable housing, including projects that boost resilience in the face of intensifying extreme weather. In Connecticut, tens of thousands of people live in affordable housing units that are eligible for upgrades like flood-proofing and storm resistance, as well as clean energy and electrification. A new Neighborhood Access and Equity Grant Program includes support for transportation projects and planning to protect against flooding, extreme heat, and more. The Inflation Reduction Act also invests in strengthening America’s forests, including programs focused on preventing wildfires and for tree planting projects that help protect communities from extreme heat.