CT Job Growth & Affordable Heat Pumps

July 26, 2024

The Connecticut economy is thriving according to the latest jobs report. I will break down how the first of the year has been such a tremendous success in our state.

Connecticut is receiving federal funding to expand the use of affordable electric heat pumps. Please read below to learn how this technology will help the environment while saving you money.

Road work will lead to significant delays on I-95 in Stamford. I'll let you know exactly when and where to expect lane closures and a detour.

Here are the sections of today's email:

  • Connecticut Job Growth
  • Investing in Affordable Electric Heat Pumps
  • Expect Delays & Detour on I-95 
  • CT Paid Leave Presentation
  • New Campaign to Combat Speeding
 
Connecticut Job Growth
Right now, our state’s economy is experiencing some major gains. According to the Department of Labor’s mid-year report, more people are finding jobs and the unemployment rate has dropped significantly. We need to keep our business friendly climate and continue to pass policy that will spur economic growth.
Click here to learn more
 
Investing in Affordable Electric Heat Pumps

Connecticut will get up to $100 million to speed up the process of getting more affordable electric heat pumps installed throughout the state. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is awarding a total of $450 million to a coalition of states, including Connecticut, known as the New England Heat Pump Accelerator Coalition. The goal is to increase the number of cold-climate air-source heat pumps, heat pump water heaters, and ground source heat pumps in single-family and multi-family homes. These heat pumps reduce emissions, provide significant health benefits, and deliver energy savings.

The coalition will work collaboratively to promote the development of heat pump skill sets in the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC), plumbing, and electrical workforce. It also intends to invest about 50% of the benefits in historically overburdened and underserved communities, such as Stamford.
Additionally, the coalition will partner with heat pump manufacturers, distributors, and installers to increase the availability of air-source and ground-source heat pumps while lowering equipment and installation costs for consumers. This partnership will include significant investment in workforce training, ensuring installers will have access to good-paying careers while delivering more efficient heating and cooling solutions.
 
Expect Delays & Detour on I-95

You can expect slowdowns at night for a conduit installation project on I-95 in Stamford. According to the CTDOT, there will be right lane closures on both sides of the highway and the exit 9 northbound on-ramp will be closed. The work begins the night of Monday, July 29 and runs through the morning of Wednesday, July 31.

CLICK HERE if you would like to know more about the lane closures and detour.
 
CT Paid Leave Presentation

I was proud to organize a virtual presentation on CT Paid Leave to the VITA Collaborative. Approximately 40 people were in attendance to learn more about the program. CT Paid Leave, which started in 2022, creates a source of income replacement benefits for eligible workers who need to take time away from their jobs for qualifying health or family reasons.

I want to thank all of the organizers who helped put the event together this week. It was gratifying to see such a large group of employees and employers taking part and learning about a vital program.
Read the presentation here
 
New Campaign to Combat Speeding
A statewide campaign is underway to urge drivers to slow down on our roadways. The Connecticut Department of Transportation, local police, and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) are working together to promote safer driving with more speed limit enforcement. The campaign runs through September 5.

There is urgency to address this issue. In 2022, 115 people died in Connecticut from speeding and reckless driving. Speeding accounts for about one-third of all traffic-related fatalities nationally. It is a form of reckless driving that jeopardizes everyone’s safety. According to NHTSA, in 2022, 87% of all speeding-related traffic fatalities on American roads occurred on non-interstate roadways.

For more information about the dangers of speeding, visit nhtsa.gov.