Riverfront Recapture Receives Grants From Eversource and CNG/Avangrid

Riverfront Recapture received grants from Eversource and CNG/Avangrid under Connecticut’s Neighborhood Assistance Act tax credit program in 2019 and 2020. Allocated funding will help to upgrade the air conditioning at the boathouse in Riverside Park. The overall project replaces a circa-2000 air conditioning system including four condensers, supply and return fans, and add automatic energy control systems with remote access and room occupancy sensors. The upgrades will take place in stages, using available funding.

The current air conditioning system in the Boathouse provides year-round ventilation as well as air conditioning, ensuring the Boathouse can be used for events, including the Riverfront Community Rowing program, throughout the year. While the air conditioning system as a whole has been well serviced over the years, a new energy-efficient system would significantly reduce electrical use while providing improved temperature control. No replacements are available for the four original condensers. The current control system is the original analog system; while parts are available, they are becoming hard to find.

The grants, made possible by Connecticut’s Neighborhood Assistance Act (NAA) Tax Credit Program, are aimed at helping nonprofit community and neighborhood organizations across the state improve energy efficiency and reduce their energy costs. The 2020 NAA grants support a wide variety of projects undertaken by community organizations across the UI, SCG and CNG service territories. A full listing of the projects supported can be found at NAA tax credit Program.

United Illuminating (UI), Southern Connecticut Gas (SCG) and Connecticut Natural Gas (CNG) — all subsidiaries of AVANGRID, Inc. — distributed a total of $441,540 in grants to 59 organizations in 2020.