News Releases

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• 4/6/2017 Opening Day is this Saturday, April 8th Connecticut ready for trout season, 306,000 trout stocked for Opening Day

  Opening Day of the trout fishing season is this Saturday -- April 8th -- and Connecticut’s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) has the state’s rivers, streams, lakes and ponds stocked and ready.

• 4/3/2017 Southern End of the Windsor Locks Canal State Park Trail Will Be Closed through June 2017

  Connecticut’s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) today announced that the southern end of the popular Windsor Locks Canal State Park Trail will be closed through June 2017 to protect a pair of nesting bald eagles.

• 4/7/2017 DEEP Deputy Commissioner Whalen Joins Students from Waterbury’s Regan Elementary School For Stocking Trout in Celebration of Opening Day

  Connecticut’s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) Deputy Commissioner Susan Whalen, today joined students from Regan Elementary School, Waterbury, to stock trout at Fulton Park, Upper Pond, in preparation for Opening Day of trout fishing season on Saturday, April 8.

• 4/11/2017 2017 Spring Wild Turkey Hunting Season Opens April 26

  Connecticut’s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) is reminding hunters that the 2017 Connecticut spring wild turkey hunting season runs from April 26 through May 27.

• 4/12/2017 Gov. Malloy and State Officials Urge EPA To Act Favorably on Petition to Control Pollution Caused By Upwind States

  Governor Dannel P. Malloy and other Connecticut officials are urging the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to approve a petition filed by the State of Connecticut along with eight other neighboring Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states to require nine upwind states located in the west and the south to reduce air pollution generated within their borders that is carried to states in the northeast by prevailing winds, causing public health issues for area residents and economic disincentives for the region’s businesses.

• 4/24/2017 DEEP Reminds Residents to Be Bear Aware

  Connecticut’s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) reminds residents to take steps to reduce encounters and potential conflicts with black bears.

• 4/27/2017 DEEP Presents Mrs. Kellogg’s Favorite Things at Osborne Homestead Museum, Derby

  Come visit the Osborne Homestead Museum and learn about Frances’ favorite things, joining other famous people who have a list of their favorite things – including Maria von Trapp and Oprah Winfrey.

• 7/29/2025 Governor Lamont, Attorney General Tong, Commissioner Dykes, and Commissioner Juthani Respond to the EPA’s Proposed Repeal of the Landmark Endangerment Finding

  (HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont, Attorney General William Tong, Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection Commissioner Katie Dykes, and Connecticut Department of Public Health Commissioner Manisha Juthani, MD, released the following statements in response to today’s announcement from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that it is rescinding the “endangerment finding” – an Obama-era determination that allows the EPA to regulate greenhouse gas emissions as air pollutants under the Clean Air Act.

• 7/24/2025 DEEP Announces New Incentive Levels For CHEAPR Program Effective August 1st

  (HARTFORD) — The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) announced today that the standard incentive level for the popular Connecticut Hydrogen and Electric Vehicle Purchase Rebate (CHEAPR) program will be changing effective August 1, 2025. The CHEAPR program offers incentives to Connecticut residents who purchase or lease an eligible new or used battery electric (BEV) or, plug-in hybrid electric (PHEV) vehicle from a licensed Connecticut automobile dealership or original equipment manufacturer.

• 2/13/2025 DEEP Announces Recipients of 2025 Grants for Aquatic Invasive Species Control on Lakes, Ponds, and Rivers

  (HARTFORD)-The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) today announced the recipients of the fifth annual round of funding through the Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) Grant Program, with a total of $400,000 going to 12 projects that will reduce the impacts of aquatic invasive species on inland waters in Connecticut.

• 6/22/2025 Connecticut Facing First Summer Heat Wave DEEP Forecasts Elevated Levels of Ozone for June 22 and 23, 2025

  (HARTFORD) — The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) is expecting temperatures to reach the mid to upper 90’s beginning Sunday, June 22 and last through Wednesday June 25, 2025. At points during this heat wave heat indices are expected to exceed 100oF. These very hot temperatures will contribute to elevated ozone levels for the southern portion of Connecticut on Sunday and Monday. These levels may approach or exceed Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups (USG) levels for these parts of Connecticut.

• 5/1/2025 DEEP Environmental Conservation Police Celebrate Graduation of the 2025 Ranger Academy

  (HARTFORD) — The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) celebrated the graduation ceremony for the 2025 Environmental Conservation Police (EnCon) Ranger graduating class on Wednesday, April 30th. Thirty-three recruits successfully completed a 120-hour training academy to become EnCon Rangers. An additional 10 Rangers will return to the field from previous years.

• 2/26/2025 DEEP Launches Integrated Resources Plan (IRP) to Identify Strategies to Affordably and Reliably Meet Connecticut’s Growing Electricity Needs

  (HARTFORD) - The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) today announced that it is launching the state’s next Integrated Resources Plan (IRP) to assess Connecticut’s growing electricity needs and identify pathways to meet these needs affordably and reliably for the state’s residents and businesses.

• 4/24/2025 DEEP To Celebrate Arbor Day in Communities Across Connecticut

  (HARTFORD) — The Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) is celebrating Arbor Day April 25th with communities across Connecticut and invites you to join us at any one of the many events planned around the state. Many municipalities celebrate Arbor Day as part of the Arbor Day Foundation’s Tree City Program. This national program recognizes cities across the United States for their dedication to growing, protecting, and maintaining urban and community forests. Connecticut boasts 24 Tree Cities, 4 Tree Campuses, and 4 Tree City Growth Awards this year. This list includes the Town of Fairfield and City of Stamford, which are tied for first place as the longest-standing Tree Cities in the state at 37 years.

• 2/11/2025 DEEP Expands Scope of Energy Efficiency Procurement to Enable Businesses as Well as Residents to Benefit from Innovative Approaches to Lowering Energy Bills

  (HARTFORD)- As noted in Governor Lamont’s State of the State address in January, the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) is conducting a competitive Request for Proposals (RFP) to invite bids from efficiency suppliers to expand access to electric efficiency for United Illuminating (UI) and Eversource customers. This week, as part of the RFP process, DEEP released an updated schedule and expanded scope for its electric efficiency and affordability procurement. The initial draft request for proposals (RFP) was focused on energy efficiency measures delivered to residential customers. In response to bidder requests, DEEP is now expanding the RFP scope by clarifying that interested bidders could include energy efficiency measures for commercial and industrial customers, as well as residential customers. In addition, interested bidders would be permitted to use the customer’s electric bill to collect payments from the participating customers to pay for the installed measures over a period of time if those payments are less than the expected savings from the efficiency measures.