HARTFORD, Conn. — GOP legislators released a series of proposals Tuesday they say will lower energy costs for consumers. Their proposed legislative package includes separating the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA) from the Department of Energy & Environmental Protection (DEEP) and adding nuclear and hydropower to the state's renewable portfolio.
Lawmakers cited a study by Ownerly, which ranked Connecticut as being the most expensive state in the continental United States for energy. That report said Hawaiians paid on average $210.26 a month, followed by Connecticut ($173.16), Alabama ($164.62), Georgia ($153.45) and Texas ($152.83).
Democratic legislators said actions have been taken in recent months.
I’m willing to hear out what my colleagues have to say, as any new proposals should be considered and weighed on their merits," said State Senator Norm Needleman, Senate Chair of the Energy & Technology Cmte. "Under my leadership the Energy & Technology Committee has always operated in a bipartisan way and I hope we can continue to do so.”
"Already in this winter, the state bolstered the Connecticut Energy Assistance Program to provide up to thousands of dollars for families in need. Leaders have created a customer relief plan helping carve back some of the recent energy cost increases ratepayers recently saw. And just last week, the Governor joined our committee leaders to discuss long-term diversification of energy sources and increased weatherization and energy efficiency efforts to meet the state’s need in the future."
The proposals outline achieving lower costs in the short term by shifting certain mandated costs from utility customers to the state. Lawmakers say the plan will save consumers $362 million per year, which translates to an average of $210 yearly savings for the average household.
They propose to move PURA from the DEEP to become a separate state agency. Legislators said the move will allow PURA "more discretion and flexibility" to protect customers from rate hikes. The proposed legislation would also create utility rate case oversight so rate cases and settlements "are made in the best interest of ratepayers and not for other political considerations."
While most of the state is served by either United Illuminating or Eversource, there are several communities such as Wallingford and Norwich which operate their own utility companies. Legislators propose comparing the different ways all the small locally owned utilities procure power.
Lawmakers also propose "bringing all clean energy sources into the state's green energy strategy by adding nuclear power and all sources of hydropower to the state's Renewable Portfolio Standard program."
"While it's imperative to address short-term financial obligations, and this will help some, we must put forward best practices and legitimate long-term solutions. Some poor decisions in the past have put us in this current position and we can't just put a band-aid on it. We must correct the mistakes and set the table for future success that reduces the obscene burden on ratepayers," said Rep. Bill Buckbee (R-New Milford), House Ranking member of the Energy & Technology Committee in a statement.
Doug Stewart is the Senior Digital Content Producer at FOX61 News. He can be reached at dstewart@fox61.com.
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