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Business New Haven
5/12/2003
By: BNH
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LIPA's Power Play
HARTFORD - The Long Island Power Authority (LIPA) has offered Connecticut officials a deal for cheap electricity if the state allows the controversial Cross-Sound cable to begin carrying power.
LIPA, which bought the line's capacity for 20 years, would provide the state with electricity at discounted rates to reduce congestion charges, an action the Cross-Sound Cable Co. says would save ratepayers millions of dollars a year. In return, the state would give the go-ahead to operate the 24-mile line from New Haven to Shoreham, N.Y. The line can't operate now because Cross-Sound failed to bury it to the required depth along several hundred feet of New Haven Harbor.
Connecticut officials "have an obligation to the taxpayers and the ratepayers to try to ensure that their energy economy does well," said Jeffrey A. Donahue, CEO of Cross-Sound Cable Co., in a published report. "We think that the use of a cable that is currently installed and has no environmental impact is a smart move." The May 8 proposal came less than a day after the state senate voted to extend the state's moratorium on new utility lines in Long Island Sound another year. If the bill becomes law, it would virtually guarantee that the Cross-Sound cable wouldn't operate until the fall of 2004 at the earliest.
Saint Regis Center To Expand
NEW HAVEN - The Saint Regis Health Center, the Hospital of Saint Raphael's 125-bed skilled nursing facility, will break ground on a $6 million expansion program with a ceremony and reception on May 22 at 1354 Chapel Street. The four-story pavilion will be dedicated to Sister Anne Virginie Grimes, who has been a member of the Saint Raphael community since 1973 and was president of the hospital and its parent, the Saint Raphael Healthcare System, for 21 years. Grimes has always had a close interest in Saint Regis, and was the driving force behind Saint Raphael's acquiring the facility in 1987.
Conference Promotes Voluntarism
HAMDEN - The Connecticut Conference on Volunteerism (CCV) will hold its 11th annual confab on May 29 on the campus of Quinnipiac University. The event is designed by leaders in the Connecticut nonprofit community to educate volunteers and professionals who are involved with nonprofit organizations. The conference is a full day of educational seminars, breakout sessions, personal development workshops and networking. This year's event will feature workshops in funding, marketing, technology, volunteer administration/management and youth services discussions. The scheduled keynote speaker is ABC News correspondent Deborah Roberts, who will discuss "The Power of One: Who Says You Can't Make A Difference?" More information about the conference is available online by visiting www.ccvinfo.org or calling 860-666-6046. Inquiries may be e-mailed to questions@ccvinfo.org.
Trumbull Chamber Gets Its Man
TRUMBULL - Jim Somers, a market area and financial services manager for People's Bank Financial Center in Trumbull has been honored as the 2003 Trumbull Chamber of Commerce Businessperson of the Year. The award was presented at the Trumbull Marriott on April 30 at the chamber's second annual Businessperson of the Year Dinner, sponsored by Oxford Health Plans. Somers was instrumental in the 1999 transformation of the Quality Street, Trumbull People's branch into a "multi-faceted financial center," according to the chamber. The first such conversion in the state, the center offers personal and investment services in one location. Somers also co-chaired Trumbull's Business Education Initiative (BEI), designed to fosters a better relationship between businesses, the community and schools. Somers is also a past president of the Trumbull chamber.
Third Time the Charm?
MILFORD - The deadline for the 544-megawatt Milford Power Co. plant to begin operations has been moved to September 1. The extension, the company's third, was granted by the State Siting Council on May 6. The $234 million plant was originally supposed to begin operations in December 2001, but a tangle of lawsuits over the plant have delayed its opening. Separate legal actions were filed by the families of two men killed and two others injured in a February 2000 construction accident at the site. Another stumbling block is the suit filed by Black & Veatch Inc., the Overland Park, Kan., firm building the new plant.
Although the new plant will not generate power during the peak-demand summer season, the area's power needs will be met, officials said. However, the potential exists for rolling blackouts in lower Fairfield County, according to representatives of the Independent Service Operator of New England, which manages the power supply.
Big Box, New Life?
NEW HAVEN - The recently closed Super Kmart store on Route 80 may be reincarnated as a Wal-Mart. According to a published report, the nation's largest retailer intends to submit a proposal to New Haven city officials for a new store on the site. Wal-Mart has acquired a large number of former Kmart stores nationwide.
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