Carpino Discusses Control and Safety Procedures at Kleen Energy

MIDDLETOWN — State Rep. Christie Carpino on Monday got a firsthand look at control and safety procedures at the Kleen Energy Systems power plant here, following through on her promise to Portland residents with ongoing questions about the impact it will have on their community.

The two-hour tour, led by general manager Gordon Holk and plant manager Robert Haley, began with a summary of Kleen Energy’s role in the marketplace but quickly shifted to a review of the day-to-day management.

The plant is operational and capable of producing 620 megawatts of power. One megawatt is enough to power 1,000 homes.

“Today’s visit to the facility will prove invaluable in my continuing efforts to be a voice for constituents with questions and concerns about a power plant some of them can see from their living rooms,” Carpino said.

Kleen Energy is perched above the Connecticut River on the site of a former Middletown mine that once produced an ingredient for porcelain. The plant is of particular interest to Portland residents whose homes on the other side of the river were rocked by a construction-related explosion in 2010.

Earlier this year, Carpino co-sponsored legislation implementing safety procedures outlined by a special commission created after the accident that killed six people and injured many others.

Carpino’s tour Monday took her everywhere—from the facility’s control room to the ridgeline view of homes in Portland.

Holks told Carpino he expects site work at the plant—residents have complained about the noise—to be wrapped up soon.