July 27, 2001
Stop the Cable

One of the issues I brought to Fernandez¹ attention was the Transenergie cable across Long Island Sound.  The idea was rejected by the state last  year (bringing on the wrath of the Bush administration) based on the potential damage to New Haven¹s shellfish industry. Its rerouting away from shellfish beds is considered an "improvement" according to some of the previous foes of the proposal and Fernandez seemed to imply that this was  the main reason for his opposition. This, I argued, completely misses how the cable will prove to be most environmentally destructive: with the cable routing electricity across the sound the market for power produced by regional power plants will be greatly expanded. It should come as no surprise that as power  plants are sparse on Long Island-power generation is, after all, an activity generally considered more appropriate for cities like New Haven, Bridgeport and Hartford- power is expected to travel almost exclusively from here to there, not the other way around.  The effect of the  new availability of the Long Island market will be to increase the pressure to bring English Station on line and will be likely to require the  operation of the Wisvest Harbor Station plant at even higher levels. This means more pollution and more asthma and other respiratory conditions.  I am grateful  that Henry listened and seemed to take seriously theseobjections.  

The solution: obviously the cross sound cable needs to be stopped, but this is probably only a stop gap measure until other cables come on line. Perhaps the state assembly could pass legislation prohibiting shipping power from the filthy five plants out of state, though it¹s not clear that such legislation could stand up in the courts. The ultimate solution-a Green Party holy grail, in fact-is for the city to acquire the power plants in its midst and operate them as municipal utilities with whatever modifications are required for them to pose minimal risk to residents.  Such an idea would have been laughed off a few years back when free market orthodoxy was at its height.  After California, however, such schemes are no longer so far fetched.  Perhaps even Henry might consider giving them a whirl. 

Who is John Halle ?

John Halle is an assistant professor in the Department of Music at Yale University, a pianist, a composer, and an author of articles on music and politics. He has lived with his wife, Marka, a professional violinist, at their home on Eld St. since 1997.

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