House Passes Bill That Might Protect Trumbull From One-MW, Natural-Gas Fuel Cell

It’s nearly 8 p.m. and the House just voted 139-0 in favor of legislation that would require the Siting Council to consider public safety issues when reviewing planned fuel cell plants that generate more than one megawatt, such as the one envisioned for a residential neighborhood in Trumbull. Rep. T.R. Rowe, R-Trumbull, who spoke in favor of the bill, which next heads to the Senate, said it would allow for the Siting Council to schedule public hearings that, under current law, they are not required to have. “It doesn’t mean that the power plant proposed in Trumbull would be rejected, but it would give us a fair shot,” said Rowe in an interview on the House floor. “It’s a nice little victory, but it still has to go through the Senate and be signed by the governor.”