Around the Local

Manchester's Lynch Toyota has completed a 298.1 kW solar carport installation at its Tolland Turnpike dealership, financed through the Connecticut Green Bank's CPACE program and installed by Ellington based Earthlight Technologies. The project is projected to save more than $968,000 over its lifetime, and is part of the Green Bank's broader mission to reduce energy costs for Connecticut businesses.
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Student transportation provider Zum will deploy a fully electric school bus fleet for Branford Public Schools beginning in the 2026 27 school year, making Branford the largest fully electric school district with vehicle to grid (V2G) capabilities in the Northeast. The district is completing its transition to 100% electric buses three years ahead of its original schedule, with bidirectional V2G charging infrastructure that will allow buses to return stored energy to the local grid when not in service.
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Blackstone owned QTS Data Centers is pursuing a $2 billion Commercial Mortgage Backed Securities refinancing deal covering three campuses in Atlanta, Chicago, and Northern Virginia, the latest in a series of major capital market moves fueled by surging AI driven demand for data center infrastructure.
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At 91, Charlie Horhn reflects on a lifetime at the intersection of the Civil Rights and labor movements. Beginning with his work organizing IBEW Local 2268 at a segregated Jackson, Mississippi factory in the 1960s, Horhn draws a direct line between economic justice and civil rights, and the enduring power of solidarity across both movements.
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Rep. Donald Norcross, the only IBEW represented electrician in Congress has introduced the Faster Labor Contracts Act, which would set enforceable deadlines for first contract negotiations, requiring talks to begin within 10 days of certification and moving to binding arbitration if no agreement is reached within 120 days. IBEW International President Kenneth W. Cooper is urging members to contact their representatives in support of the bill.
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