New Haven, CT—Save the Sound released its priorities today for the 2026 Connecticut Legislative session, which starts this Wednesday, February 4, and runs until May 6.
Advance Affordable, Renewable, Efficient Energy
“Energy affordability is on everyone’s mind, and the best way to keep energy costs manageable is to continue investing in energy efficiency and clean energy resources,” said Charles Rothenberger, Save the Sound’s director of Connecticut government relations. “This allows us to address grid reliability issues while reducing reliance on expensive peaking generators and helping to insulate ratepayers from the volatility of natural gas prices.”
Our 2026 agenda to promote affordability and reduce emissions:
- Maintain and expand energy efficiency and weatherization investments to bring affordable energy to more Connecticut families and businesses.
- Protect communities from the impacts of incineration-generated pollution and climate-driven extreme heat events.
- Expand access to clean renewable energy.
Protect Healthy Waters
“All my priorities this year are fighting for the fish. We’re going to be keeping them free from PFAS contamination, restoring them to their native ranges, and improving their habitat with bug-dropping, shade-giving, and pollution-filtering riparian strips along the banks of our waterways,” said Bill Lucey, Long Island Soundkeeper at Save the Sound.
Our 2026 priorities for protecting healthy waters:
- Establish protected buffers of natural vegetation along our streams and rivers to reduce pollutants, protect from flood damage, and provide habitat for native birds and fish.
- Require safe, timely, and effective fish passage on all hydropower dams not currently regulated by FERC.
- Defend against rollbacks to PFAS forever chemical bans in pesticides and cookware that protect the health and safety of Connecticut residents, including the fish.
Support Environmental Justice and Defend your Rights
“To achieve positive outcomes for overburdened and distressed municipalities throughout Connecticut, we ask the legislature to fund community-based organizations leading environmental educational programs so that their hard work is sustained. We also ask that legislators address affordability concerns by funding removal of barriers to weatherization and energy efficiency upgrades in homes that need them most, by reducing transit fares for high school students and vulnerable populations, and by securing additional resources to get more electric school buses on our roads,” said Alex Rodriguez, environmental justice specialist at Save the Sound.
Our 2026 priorities for supporting environmental justice and defending your rights:
- Fund environmental education led by community-based organizations.
- Remove barriers to weatherization and energy efficiency upgrades in state-designated Environmental Justice Communities.
- Reduce transit fares for high school students and vulnerable populations.
- Secure additional resources to support electric school bus deployment.
“With growing instability and rollbacks at the federal level, it is more urgent than ever for Connecticut to defend the environmental laws that keep our communities safe and healthy. The state must stand as a strong line of defense to protect its residents and future generations,” said Gabriel Slaughter, Peter B. Cooper Legal Fellow, Save the Sound.
- Defend against rollbacks to state environmental laws and policies that preserve open space, protect clean air and water, and keep our communities safe and healthy.
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