How electricity is supplied to our town of Granby is not something everyone thinks about. But for Reinhard Maier, Granby resident for 37 years, the field of electricity is his bailiwick. He holds certification from the state of Connecticut as a licensed professional engineer with more than 50 years of experience in the electric power generation industry.
Maier’s opinion piece, Key Capture Energy project is not in Granby’s best interests, appeared in the Granby Drummer’s September 2024 issue. It won second place in the Editorial/Op-Ed category of the Connecticut Press Club’s annual competition. Maier explains, “The purpose of my writing was to provide readers an understanding of battery energy storage systems (BESS).” In delineating the potential side effects of BESS installments, he cited multiple reasons why Granby was not equipped to deal with consequences of BESS projects.
“I’m supposed to be retired,” Maier says, “but I continue to do ‘pro bono’ work for the town of Granby in our battles with developers.” Maier’s happy place is the outdoors, in the open air—with bicycling, fishing and hiking favored. Hiking along the Appalachian trail and in the Adirondacks were peak experiences for him. “This year, my wife Karen and I completed one of my bucket list trips with a visit to the Canadian Rocky Mountains where we boarded a train at Lake Louise (Alberta, Canada) for a two-day trip to Vancouver, British Columbia.”
Thank you to Maier for having the expertise and willingness to look out for Granby’s future. In an area not readily understood, he acts as protector of Granby’s best interests. Maier’s opinion piece can be read by clicking this link.