Gov. Ned Lamont (D) keynoted a legislative lunch hosted by the Eastern Connecticut Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday.
It was part of his statewide tour to update local municipal and business leaders on what his administration is up to. He pointed to housing development and employment as wins.
He also provided an update on the short legislative session, which ends next week.
“We’re going to keep that budget in place, so the second half of the biennium stays, and we’ve got about $350 million of ARPA money, which is the federal money, one-time money that has to be committed by the end of the year,” Lamont said. “That’s what we’re discussing with the legislature. What are their priorities for that money, I know higher ed, and I know not-for-profits are big parts of those priorities. So, they will see some extra resources coming.”
Lamont also addressed his concerns about electricity and energy prices in the state and their impact on economic growth, saying that renewable energy could be part of the solution.
He mentioned the New London State Pier, a hub for the offshore wind business, and that he’s also looking at purchasing hydropower from Canada. He also talked about the importance of maintaining the state’s only nuclear power station, Millstone, as part of a carbon-free energy collective.
