A ribbon cutting ceremony is scheduled for April 20 to celebrate the solar panels installed at Cornwall Consolidated School, a project that Cornwall—awarded the designation of “Greenest Town in Connecticut”—is rightfully proud of. All Cornwall Residents and other interested people are invited to attend.

“Cornwall now has the highest percentage of people paying for green power than any town in the country,” said First Selectman Gordon Ridgway last December of the project. “It’s a testament to the town and the people who went out and got all of the signatures to make it happen.”

The nine-kilowatt system was awarded to the town by the CT Clean Energy Fund for having 30 percent of its households signed up for the clean energy option with the Connecticut Light & Power company. The system will save 10,000 kilowatt hours, 11,000 pounds of CO² and $2,000 annually.

“Signing on to the clean energy option on a CL&P bill adds a small surcharge, which contributes so many benefits,” said Katherine Freygang, chairperson of the Cornwall Energy Task Force. “It is the most value packed action you can take to preserve the environment, direct our economy towards clean energy jobs and more affordable resources, and ultimately public health and quality of life. The immediate environmental benefit is that electricity will be produced from clean sources that reduce emissions of toxic gases and CO2. This will help reduce the demand for traditional fuel sources, help diversify our fuel mix, wean us from foreign oil and create jobs at home.”

The celebration will include speakers from the Clean Energy Fund, municipal government and the Cornwall Consolidated School, a demonstration of the panels and the national monitoring system, a dedication to John S. Zinsser Jr., one of the Cornwall Energy Task Force founders, and light refreshment.

More information is available by calling 860-672-6010, e-mailing Ms. Freygang at Kfreygang[at]aol.com or calling the Cornwall Consolidated School at 860-672-6617.

* Article from The Litchfield County Times, April 21, 2010.