As the 2025 Legislative Sessions continues into its next phase, we’d like to take the time to look back on our wins over the last few months & orient ourselves towards the days ahead.

Thanks to your spoken & submitted testimony, contacts made with representatives, and support, BuildGreenCT’s & Connecticut’s advocates for a sustainable built environment have pushed forward the following bills (amongst some others which you can see here): 

• HB-5004: strengthens the state’s Global Warming Solutions Act, supports the economy, promotes nature-based solutions, and encourages heat pump adoption—all critical steps toward cutting emissions, lowering costs, and improving public health. 
• SB-9: helps towns protect against climate-related hazards, equips residents with flood risk information, slows the flow of toxic neonicotinoid pesticides, and shields wildlife from inhumane, second-generation rodenticides.

Check out the CT League of Conservation Voters’ legislative watchlist to see more priority environmental legislation. Unfortunately, our concerns have not been heeded nationally. The Federal government laid off 10,000 employees in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services including the entire Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) staff. The CT Energy Assistance Program (CEAP) receives funding from LIHEAP– which seems to be in grave jeopardy– along with the roughly 30,000 people that receive direct support from CEAP. 

The implications of the LIHEAP staff elimination are still to be seen, but, in the face of uncertainty, there are still plenty of actions to be taken (along with contacting your Representative regarding LIHEAP): 

Connecticut:

• Interested in hearing more about the nexus of Affordable Housing and environmentalism? Join our Deep Energy Exterior Retrofits Webinar on May 1st.
• Contact your legislators to support our priority bills for this session. Read about our priority bills, how to contact your legislators, and more in our Post-Public Hearing BuildGreenCT Advocacy Packet
• Attend our bi-weekly Advocacy & Equity Meetings. Our next meeting is April 11th from 3:30-4:30. Use this link to join. Or email Kate Klein to be included on our email list.   
• HB-6249: Despite public hearing opposition, the Environment Committee passed HB 6249 out of committee due to claims that it will address CT’s housing crisis. According to Save the Sound, HB 6249 would make it easier to build in fragile ecosystems and force advocates to prove their case 30 days before their appeal even starts– an unfair advantage & a rollback to CEPA. As proponents for a sustainable built environment, we know that housing concerns and environmental protection are not mutually exclusive.  Use this form to contact your representatives or find their contact information here.
• CT Zero Waste Lobby Day: Join the Sierra Club for Connecticut Zero Waste Lobby Day on April 11, 2025, as part of Food Waste Prevention Week! Join multiple organizations in this collaborative effort to advocate for policies that reduce waste, promote sustainability, and protect our environment. Register Here.

Federal:

• RISEE Act: The RISEE Act would protect American coastlines and coastal communities from seal level rise and coastal erosion. Learn More Here. Message your member of Congress here. 
• Protect Public Lands: Recently, President Trump fired countless National Park employees, leaving 100 million people without safe access to parks and impacting wildfire preparedness, visitor safety, and local economies. As part of March’s Monthly Action Hour (more below), the Sierra Club asked attendees to write letters to their Representatives in the US House & Senate asking them to protect our National Parks. Written letters still pack a punch– many people don’t take the time to write letters, and the more letters our representatives receive, the better. 

Requests for Public Comment:

• The draft Connecticut Climate Resilient Energy code is a voluntary code intended to cover the installation of climate resilient energy systems and the provision of power to critical services during grid outages. The code covers the installation of climate resilient energy systems including solar, energy storage, and efficient heating and cooling to maintain living conditions and power essential services for affordable housing residents sheltering in place during grid outages. The project team is seeking public feedback on the draft code through June 27, 2025. Comments on the draft code may be submitted to comments@cleanegroup.org. The final Connecticut Climate Resilient Energy Code will be published in late 2025. Learn more here. 

Items of Interest:

• Connecticut League of Conservation Voters Legislative Watchlist
• Sierra Club Monthly Action Hour | April 15th, 6pm: Join the Sierra Club’s Virtual Action Hour to get the latest updates on Trump’s agenda and take meaningful action against it — in just one hour each month. These interactive meetings will be streamed live across social platforms, so you can join from wherever you live or work and take action alongside hundreds of other Sierra Club advocates. Register here. 
• CT League of Conservation Voters: Chair Gillett has been a strong and steady voice for Connecticut ratepayers and for the clean energy future our communities need. Her leadership has helped protect families from unfair utility costs, held powerful utility companies accountable, and ensured that Connecticut stays on track to meet its climate and environmental goals. Utility companies are working aggressively to block her reconfirmation because she’s stood up to their influence. She’s prioritized transparency, fought for ratepayer protections, and made sure our public energy policies serve the public good, not corporate profits. Take 5 Minutes to tell your legislator to support Chair Gillett. 
• DEEP Innovation Fair | April 9th, 11am-2pm: This event builds on the first Innovation Fair that was hosted at the DEEP HQ in December and will showcase various projects and programs across the agency’s diverse mission…including several that are a direct result of legislative priorities.
• The Groundwater Approach: Building a Practical Understanding of Structural Racism | April 12th, 9:30am-12:30pm: As part of its ongoing work to advance racial equity throughout the region, The Foundation is offering free community access to The Groundwater Approach, a racial equity workshop that builds an understanding of systemic racism and racial disparities through data and historical analysis. Register Here. 

Connect With Us

As a reminder, you can review our Post-Public Hearing Advocacy Packet here. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out. You can hear more from us by: 

• Connect with Kate Klein: While Melissa Kops is on Maternity Leave (Congrats, Melissa!), Kate is leading the Advocacy & Equity Community. Reach out to Kate with any questions, share your interests, what you’re passionate about, and any relevant experience.
• Join our Upcoming Advocacy & Equity Community Meeting:  Our next meeting is April 11th from 3:30-4:30. Use this link to join. Or email Kate Klein to be included on our email list.