Environmental activists are urging Connecticut to phase out fossil fuels from a heating and cooling system in Hartford that serves the Bushnell Performing Arts Center and other buildings downtown.
The Capitol Area System uses natural gas to provide heating to 15 state and privately owned buildings, including the state Supreme Court and the Legislative Office Building.
Natural gas is mostly made up of methane, a powerful greenhouse gas that forms ground-level ozone, which can trigger asthma. This year, Hartford was ranked among the worst cities in the United States for people with asthma, according to the latest annual ranking from the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America.
“It's quite saddening. It's very heartbreaking to see that there's so many people in Hartford that have lung issues,” said Alycia Jenkins, an organizer with Sierra Club Connecticut.
Jenkins would like to see the state swap out natural gas for geothermal energy.
“Yes, it's expensive. It's costly upfront, but it saves money in the long haul,” Jenkins said.
“Difficulty should not be an excuse for you not to do right by the people of Hartford,” she said.
The state published a decarbonization study of the Capitol Area System (CAS) in 2024 and planned to upgrade the system with water-source heat pumps and high-efficiency natural-gas boilers.
But the project was put on hold in late 2025, amid budget constraints and concerns the work could conflict with reconstruction of Interstate 84.
“We are working with partners in the Office of Policy and Management, the legislature, and community and environmental advocates to evaluate the future of the facility,” said Leigh Appleby, communications director for the Department of Administrative Services, the state agency that maintains the system.
The department also noted that the system stopped generating power in 2021.
“Decommissioning the power-generation function cut the facility's total greenhouse gas output by roughly 69%, and the plant now operates well below the thresholds that would classify it as a major air polluter,” Appleby said.
“Although air pollution from CAS has decreased significantly, the state’s intention is to ensure we are providing the area’s buildings with heating and cooling in a way that is consistent with our obligation to protect the environment and the health of the people who live here,” he said.
Sierra Club Connecticut will host a walk of the Capitol Area System to raise awareness of the issue on Saturday, Oct. 24 from 2-4pm.
Áine Pennello is a Report for America corps member, covering the environment and climate change for Connecticut Public.
