Newsletter Volume 3 • Number 37
BET votes to take advantage of fleeting savings from Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act
Greenwich taxpayers and the environment will be getting a break in the coming years, thanks to plans to install solar panels on the roof of the new Cohen Civic Center. The technology will save the town $22,302 the first year, and half a million dollars over the length of a power purchase contract, according to an analysis completed by Democratic BET member Matt DesChamps and the town’s Energy Management Advisory Committee.
Every Democrat and five of the six Republican members voted yes to the agreement which provides clean energy at just 6 cents per kilowatt hour, 14 cents cheaper than electricity from Eversource. Energy from the solar panels will supply 75% of the Center’s needs, with the rest provided by the grid.
The low 6 cent per kilowatt hour rate is possible because of the Inflation Reduction Act passed by President Biden, which provides a 40% Investment Tax Credit for the purchase of solar panels. The town moved quickly to lock in the agreement. Electricity rates are expected to continue risingdue to a 10% Trump tariff on Canadian energy and high demand from growing AI use. The Trump administration’s hostility to clean energy could also mean the rollback of this popular federal incentive.
The model and project summary prepared and presented by DesChamps clarified the advantage of a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA), a plan which requires no upfront capital. The solar panels will be owned and maintained by the contractor, although Greenwich will retain the right to purchase them in the future.
Morgan Stanley solar canopy parking lot, Westchester, NY
Greenwich takes its solar power baby steps
Greenwich is a relative latecomer to the municipal use of solar power. Because of their large flat roofs and high energy demand, schools have been leading the way. Today over 300 CT public schools have solar panels. Last year Ridgefield built a solar canopy over its high school parking lot, providing protection from the elements and a projected $1.5 million in savings. Fairfield added solar panels to six of its schools, and a digital display shows students the number of trees saved or driving miles avoided. Other towns are moving beyond schools. New Canaan, West Hartford, and Manchester added solar panels to their town halls, or other municipal buildings.
Perhaps after enjoying the energy savings at Cohen Civic Center, Greenwich too will choose to walk on the sunny side of the street by installing solar panels on other town owned buildings and parking lots. Next up is the finalization of plans for solar panels on the roof of Central Middle School—stay tuned.
Greenwich residents will feel the effects of federal Medicaid/Medicare cuts
The specifics of the budget resolution passed by Republicans in the House of Representatives aren’t nailed down, but given the dramatic cuts necessary to fund a massive tax break for the ultra-rich, it’s certain that health care for the disabled, poor, and elderly will take the biggest hit. That puts a target on patients, facilities, and taxpayers right here in Greenwich.
Quality of patient care will suffer
At Nathaniel Witherell, our town’s senior home and rehab center, 70% of revenue comes from Medicaid or Medicare patients. If the cuts to reimbursements from those programs are as forecast, board chair Brad Markowitz says “the impact on taxpayers of Greenwich would be extraordinary.” Markowitz adds, “there’s also no question that absorbing the magnitude of the potential cuts would have an impact on both quality of care and quality of life” for patients.
Greenwich Hospital’s emergency department is already required by law to evaluate every visitor and treat all emergencies, regardless of ability to pay. As the numbers of uninsured or inadequately insured increase, this puts added strain on any hospital’s resources. Moreover, Greenwich’s health care system has long been difficult for people on Medicaid or Medicare to navigate, because many specialists don’t take those insurances. More may drop them if reimbursements go down.
The nonprofit Family Centers Inc. in Greenwich recently began operating the Yale New Haven Health clinics on Holly Hill Lane, which focus on the medically underserved, regardless of insurance. Many of their clients have Medicaid or Medicare. “As with all the news coming out of Washington, we’re closely monitoring the Medicaid proposals and trying to get as much clarity as we can,” said Family Centers chief advancement officer Bill Brucker.
Burning health care to the ground
“24% of Americans get their health insurance from Medicaid. Republicans voted to burn Medicaid to the ground,” CT Sen. Chris Murphy noted in a recent social post. “And for what? To fund a giant tax cut for their billionaire friends.”
What we’re reading
Botgate hits Greenwich
Almost everyone seemed to be on board with the decision to restore the geothermal system at the Hamilton Avenue School. The Representative Town Meeting overwhelmingly passed a resolution endorsing the project, 157-25. The Board of Education voted 6-1 in favor of it too.
But when it came before the town finance board, over 60 emails arrived opposing the project, similarly worded and coming from suspicious looking emails. Town IT determined that the emails were fake, coming from non-existent people. “This is malicious and it’s interfering with our business,” said BET member Scott Kalb. Read the Greenwich Free Press’ reporting on this Botgate incident.
To prevent future abuses, the BET has created this form for submitting public comment.
Action Calendar
March 19. Get inspired.
Come to our monthly DTC meeting and hear from CT Attorney General William Tong, featured in our recent newsletter, “CT’s top lawyer comes out swinging.” 7:30, Town Hall Meeting Room
March 23. March!
March with us in the St. Patrick’s Day parade. Meet up in the Town Hall parking lot, 2:00. Info here.
March 24. Learn.
Community conversation with State Treasurer Erick Russell, moderated by Rachel Khanna. 6:30-8:00 p.m., YWCA Greenwich, 259 East Putnam Ave. RSVP here.
| Volume 3, Number 37 • March 6, 2025 |
| Paid for by the Greenwich Democratic Town Committee. |
| Greenwich Democratic Town Committee P.O. Box 126 Greenwich, CT 06836 |