There has been talk about a permanent cover, a retractable cover and no cover at all. There has been talk about closing the pool down during the cold months or selling it to a private company. Town Council has even sent out a Request For Proposal in search for a pool consultant to come up with suggestions. Then, the idea of installing an alternative energy source seemed to be the silver lining to the pool’s grey cloud. However, council had some reservation because it had two weeks to make a decision.

After a two-hour question and answer session on Tuesday, the Town Council decided unanimously to move forward with trying to apply for a grant that would allow the installation of fuel cells at the pool.
The resolution passed Tuesday night will allow UTC Power LLC to apply for a grant in exchange for a commitment on behalf of the town that will allow the company to install the fuel cells on a 50-foot-by-100-foot parcel at Bartlem Park. The fuel cells will be hooked into the electricity grid supplying alternative energy to Connecticut Light & Power Co.

The fuel cells will also provide heat to the pool, cutting that cost in half for the town. No matter how high or low fuel prices go, the town will always save 50 percent of the cost to heat the entire pool facility.
The incentive comes from Project 100, which is offered by the Connecticut Clean Energy Fund (CCEF), which has the objective of supplying clean energy to Connecticut’s power grid.

“Project 100 was conceived by the legislation as an incentive program to encourage developers to provide clean energy options,” said Energy Commission member David Ljungquist.

The energy commission came to the Town Council last week with the proposal. The short time frame  concerned council members. However, UTC Power Senior Manager Herb Healy said there is no obligation to the town if it signs on for the grant application.

UTC Power will pay the cost to install the fuel cells and maintain them for 20 years.

Council member David Schrumm explained that UTC will essentially be paying rent for a parcel of land to place its fuel cells. UTC Power chose Cheshire as a location for the cells because Southern Connecticut needs more power. A portion of money that all Connecticut residents pay on the electricity bills is placed into the CCEF fund for projects such as this. “I’m paying for it anyway, why not take advantage of it,” said Schrumm.

There is a possibility that the Cheshire High School can utilize one fuel cell to offset some of its energy costs. Board of Education member James Sima was concerned with the space the fuel cell would take up because space at the high school is already limited. A fuel cell measures 10-feet-by-18 feet. There was no decision yet as to whether one fuel cell will be placed at the high school.

Bill Kunde, member of the Energy Commission, spoke against the fuel cells during the public comment portion of the meeting. “I’m not opposed to fuel cells, I’m opposed to the way the process was done,” said Kunde. He said other companies should have been looked at and options should have been vetted out to get the best deal. However, time was of the essence and the Town Council ran out. Healy said this project may or may not be available next year and it was up to the town to take that risk.

“Those of us who have concerns, and I think it’s fair to say we all have concerns, we have the opportunity to further vet this process,” said council Chairman Matt Hall. The resolution that was passed secured the land for the fuel cells and allows UTC Power to apply for the grant. The grant needs to be accepted by CCEF and the state Department of Public Utility Controls.

 If Cheshire is approved for the grant, it will be at least one year before the cells are up and running.