West Hartford Seeks Savings With New Energy Plan - courant.com

The Courant's Josh Kovner reports on West Hartford's new Energy Plan, the product of a small group of dedicated and knowledgeable volunteers:

“This isn't about dimming the lights. Well, it is —but the energy plan passed last week by the town council seeks to go a lot further — millions of dollars in savings further. The broad conservation scheme, backed by a task force of volunteers, will chase large reductions in energy bills for every town building and structure, outdoor fixture and vehicle. Right now, the town's energy bill is more than $16 million a year.

Here's an example of how the 40-page plan, available on the town's website, lays out a problem and incremental solutions:

The gasoline tab for the town's 300 vehicles was $670,000 last year. The plan is to reduce fuel usage by about 5 percent this year and next ($68,000 in savings) and by 10 percent in 2011. The goal, said council member Tim Brennan, is for new vehicles to have better gas mileage than those they replace…” Read more

Check out the town's new Energy Plan here.

"Never underestimate the power of a small group of people to change the world. In fact it’s the only way it ever has." – Margaret Mead