This past week here in North Haven a wonderful event unfolded at the North Haven High School when two solar panels were installed on our high school roof. These two panels were the result of the fine efforts of our Clean Energy Task Force, under the direction of Chairman Hugh Davis, and our high school students whose hard work provided us with these free solar panels.

For the past couple of years, our high school students have been canvassing the town, attending business expos and promoting the value of a clean energy option here in town. Their commitment ties into our town commitment to purchase 20% clean energy by 2010. This program promotes clean energy from renewable sources such as solar, wind, fuel cells, hydroelectric, and methane from landfill gases. By signing up for this option through your local utility company, or through our clean energy task force, you can ensure that your contribution goes toward these renewable sources rather than coal, oil, nuclear or natural gas options.

The benefit of supporting this initiative is that for every 200 residents and businesses that sign up, the Town of North Haven receives one free solar panel. Each solar panel that we received that is now installed on our high school roof will roughly save North Haven $5,000 a year in utility costs.

Today in North Haven we have 338 customers enrolled in the Connecticut Clean Energy Option program and we have earned a total of 392 points which have qualified us for the two free panels.

Our goal is to continue to add solar panels across our municipal buildings over the next few years in an effort to reduce our dependency on oil and gas and to save money through these solar panels.

If you would like more information regarding this clean energy option, please feel free to call Town Hall at 203-239-5321 x 760 and ask for a sign-up form, or call Mr. Hugh Davis at 203-248-6685 to get more information on how the program works, or visit www.town.north-haven.ct.us/government/cleanenergytaskforce.asp.