GOP lawmakers unveil proposals to lower electric rates

NBC Universal, Inc.

Amidst significant rate increase requests from Eversource and United Illuminating, republican legislators advocate for adjustments aimed at reducing electricity prices.

Eversource and United Illuminating are both seeking big rate increases.

That’s likely going to upset customers. It’s also starting a fight about who’s to blame. 

Republicans are siding with Eversource and UI, who say their rate hike requests are because of regulations and bills that went unpaid during a covid-era halt on shut-offs.   

“Everyone in this state knows Connecticut's electric rates are too damn high,” Sen. Ryan Fazio, R-Greenwich said during a press conference Friday at the Legislative Office Building. 

Eversource is seeking a 19-percent hike, which they estimate will raise bills by an average of $38 per month, and UI wants a 12-percent increase, or $30 per month on average.  

Republicans unveiled proposals they say will lower energy rates. That includes using $190 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds to cover those unpaid bills.  

They also want to relax rules around which renewable energies we use and cap how much the state spend through long-term procurement contracts to buy energy.  

They’re proposing capping those contracts at no more than 100% the wholesale electric market price.   

Republicans also want to take the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority out from the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.  

Additionally, they want Governor Ned Lamont to act on appointments and reappoints so lawmakers can vote on who approves or denies rate requests.   

A spokeswoman for Lamont says PURA is independent and its merger with DEEP is strictly for administrative reasons. 

“(PURA) is functioning as it should be as an autonomous agency that balances the interests of ratepayers with the need to have a clean, reliable, and affordable energy grid,” the spokeswoman, Julia Bergman, said.  

Democrat lawmakers pushed back against Republicans Friday.  

“You should hold the utilities accountable,” Sen. Norm Needleman, D-Essex, said. “That's their job and I’m afraid that for many, many years we were a bit lax on that.” 

Needleman, co-chair of the legislature’s Energy and Technology Committee, said the pushback from the utilities is because for years the companies received little scrutiny over rate requests.  

He also thinks Connecticut's high energy prices are because the utilities are profiting on customers.   

“When you give them money and it gets diverted into bonuses as opposed to line people, that really annoys me,” Needleman said.  

Contact Us