Author: Stephen Krauchick

New contest prompts encourage students to show off their energy efficiency smarts; deadline March 31 

NEW BRITAIN, Conn. – Energize Connecticut℠ sponsors, Eversource and AVANGRID, Inc. subsidiaries United Illuminating, Southern Connecticut Gas and Connecticut Natural Gas, announced today that the 18^th annual eesmarts™ Student Contest is now accepting student submissions until March 31, 2023.

Updates to grade-specific prompts have been made this year to foster students’ creativity and allow for new technologies and social media platforms to be used in responses. The contest is open to Connecticut students in grades K-12 and topics are focused on energy efficiency, renewable energy, and sustainability solutions.

“For almost two decades, the eesmarts Student Contest has engaged students throughout Connecticut and has asked them to use their imagination and knowledge to come up with solutions to address real-world energy matters,” said Eversource Vice President of Energy Efficiency and Electric Mobility Tilak Subrahmanian. “Our new prompts are designed to foster creativity and empower students to leverage new technologies and tools that are readily available to them today. We are excited to see how students implement these platforms to address critical energy issues and the importance of energy efficiency in their responses this year.”

“Computers, video, social media and even, gaming technology have changed how students interact with and learn about important environmental issues like energy conservation, renewable energy and energy efficiency,” said Erik Robie, Director of Customer Programs & Products at AVANGRID. “Our students are our future. We hope that with these changes more students are engaged in the eesmarts Student Contest and inspire others to make meaningful change in our community.”

Students in grades K-8 are assigned grade-specific topics and asked to submit their entries in the form of a poster (Grades K-2), narrative (Grade 3), letter to the principal (Grade 4), children’s picture book (Grade 5), persuasive TikTok (Grade 6), anime or comic strip (Grade 7), or a public service announcement for social media (Grade 8).

Students in Grades 9-11 are asked to propose a community-based project to address an energy-related issue. Students may work in groups of up to three members. The winning team’s school will receive funding to help make their proposed project a reality and must complete it by March 31, 2024.

Students competing in the Grade 12 category will produce a persuasive infographic that advocates for energy conservation and alternate energy sources. Infographics are eye-catching, concise overviews (typically one page) that contain images, data visualizations (charts or graphs), and minimal text. Entries will be evaluated based on scientific accuracy and concise and convincing imagery.

Finalists in all categories and grade levels will be honored at a special awards ceremony to be held in May 2023. Winners will receive a certificate and an Amazon gift card.

For more information about the contest, please visit www.eesmarts.com/contest. 

This press release was made possible by:

(Hartford, CT) — Attorney General Tong, along with a nationwide coalition of 23 attorneys general, is calling on Kia America (Kia) and Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai) to take swift and comprehensive action to help remedy the crisis of car thefts that has occurred due to the companies’ failure to equip vehicles with anti-theft immobilizers. Alarmingly high theft rates for Kia and Hyundai models continue across the country, including several instances in Connecticut.

As the attorneys general note in the letter, Kia and Hyundai chose not to include anti-theft immobilizers as standard equipment on several vehicle models sold in the United States during a period when every other car manufacturer was doing so, and even though the same Kia and Hyundai vehicles were equipped with immobilizers when sold in Canada and Europe.

“Kia and Hyundai failed to equip its vehicles with industry-standard anti-theft technology, and its customers are now paying a steep price. These cars are now disproportionately targeted by thieves at rates so high some insurers are refusing to cover them. Kia and Hyundai need to make this right—quickly, and without nickel and diming their customers,” said Attorney General Tong.

An anti-theft immobilizer is an electronic device which prevents a car from being hot-wired and stolen by someone who doesn’t have the key.

Kia and Hyundai recently announced a campaign to provide software upgrades for some of the affected vehicle models. But the attorneys general point out in the letter that the announcement “is long overdue and still not enough.” The attorneys general urge the companies “to do everything in your power to accelerate the implementation of the software upgrade and to provide free alternative protective measures for all those owners whose cars cannot support the software upgrade.”

COALITION URGING KIA AND HYUNDAI FOR SWIFTER ACTION TO PROTECT VEHICLE OWNERS, PUBLIC SAFETY

(Hartford, CT) — Attorney General Tong, along with a nationwide coalition of 23 attorneys general, is calling on Kia America (Kia) and Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai) to take swift and comprehensive action to help remedy the crisis of car thefts that has occurred due to the companies’ failure to equip vehicles with anti-theft immobilizers. Alarmingly high theft rates for Kia and Hyundai models continue across the country, including several instances in Connecticut.

As the attorneys general note in the letter, Kia and Hyundai chose not to include anti-theft immobilizers as standard equipment on several vehicle models sold in the United States during a period when every other car manufacturer was doing so, and even though the same Kia and Hyundai vehicles were equipped with immobilizers when sold in Canada and Europe.

“Kia and Hyundai failed to equip its vehicles with industry-standard anti-theft technology, and its customers are now paying a steep price. These cars are now disproportionately targeted by thieves at rates so high some insurers are refusing to cover them. Kia and Hyundai need to make this right—quickly, and without nickel and diming their customers,” said Attorney General Tong.

An anti-theft immobilizer is an electronic device which prevents a car from being hot-wired and stolen by someone who doesn’t have the key.

Kia and Hyundai recently announced a campaign to provide software upgrades for some of the affected vehicle models. But the attorneys general point out in the letter that the announcement “is long overdue and still not enough.” The attorneys general urge the companies “to do everything in your power to accelerate the implementation of the software upgrade and to provide free alternative protective measures for all those owners whose cars cannot support the software upgrade.”

This press release was made possible by: