Beacon Falls Energy Park LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary company of CT Energy & Technology, LLC, developer of the Beacon Falls Energy Park has completed its first step in the permitting process for one of the world's largest fuel cell energy parks by presenting its development plans at a public meeting of the town of Beacon Falls open space and land use committee on Tuesday, July 7. The project is now preparing documentation to submit for formal permitting with the Connecticut siting council later this month.
Along with CT Energy and Technology, and O&G Industries, Inc., representatives from FuelCell Energy, Inc., and project engineers from PCI Skanska, TRC Environmental and Milone & McBroom contributed to the three hour public presentation. O&G Industries is a Conn. based construction and general services company with extensive experience in developing and constructing large scale power plants. O&G Industries is also the senior partner in CT Energy & Technology, LLC as well as the owner of the former gravel and sand mine in Beacon Falls where the proposed 63.3 megawatt renewable energy facility will be located.
FuelCell Energy is a Connecticut based company and a global leader in the design, manufacture and operation of fuel cell power plants. FuelCell Energy will be the fuel cell supplier and is expected to be retained to operate and maintain the plants under a long term service agreement. FuelCell Energy's corporate offices are in Danbury, Conn. and their fuel cell manufacturing plant is located in Torrington, Conn. Fully completed, the Beacon Falls Energy Park project will be the world's largest renewable energy generation using fuel cells.
The presentation included information on the project design and layout, engineering, and air quality and noise level impact as well as the low visibility and sound profile of the project and its minimal environmental impacts. FuelCell Energy's presentation included explanations on how fuel cells work to generate reliable power with near-zero pollutants (avoiding nitrogen oxide that causes smog, sulfur dioxide that causes acid rain or particulates that can aggravate asthma) in a highly efficient and affordable process. CT Energy and Technology presented information on the positive economic benefits of the project to Beacon Falls and Connecticut including the large, positive impact on tax revenue for the town and state, jobs for Connecticut manufacturing and construction companies, and improvements for electric grid reliability and increased natural gas distribution to support future economic development in the region.
"We have all Connecticut based companies preparing this project which will return a former sand and gravel mine to the tax rolls with a modern renewable energy facility. We believe doing so with Connecticut manufactured fuel cells that are clean and quiet is a home run for us, for Beacon Falls and for the State of Connecticut and its taxpayers." said William Corvo, president of CT Energy and Technology.
The project has the potential to generate millions of dollars of tax revenue over the life of the project, including property tax payments to the town of Beacon Falls and sales tax to the state of Connecticut. The fuel cell plants will be manufactured at the FuelCell Energy facility I Torrington, Conn. and installed by O&G, driving additional tax payments to the region and the State from job creation and retention. FuelCell Energy, based in Danbury and Torrington has more than 500 employees in Connecticut and O&G Industries has approximately 1,000 employees living throughout Connecticut.
At the hearing CT Energy and Technology explained why it chose fuel cells as the power source for their generating facility as opposed to other renewables. In Connecticut, fuel cells are classified as a class I renewable energy source. The Beacon Falls Energy Park and substation will occupy only 8 acres of the 25 acres of land available at the former sand mine and will generate enough electricity to power more than 60,000 Connecticut homes. By comparison, an intermittent renewable such as solar would require 300 acres of land to produce the same number of megawatts. Further, unlike solar, power from fuel cells is delivered around the clock regardless of weather or time of day.
Wind power was also considered but not chosen because of the tall and obtrusive nature of wind turbines and the fact that it would not generate as much reliable electricity. FuelCell technology was selected due to its low and quiet profile, and the high availability of fuel cell power generation. The Beacon Falls Energy Park project will also support Connecticut's renewable energy goals while improving grid stability.
CT Energy and Technology will now proceed to the next step in the permitting process for the Beacon Falls Energy Park by filing a Petition for a Declaratory Ruling with the Connecticut Siting Council later this month.
Copies of the PowerPoint presentation shown at the July 7 meeting were made available to the public on CD ROMS at the conclusion of the meeting and were provided to the town for inclusion on its website. The presentation is also available at www.fuelcellenergy.com