Connecticut Republican leaders call on Gov. Lamont to use budget surplus to alleviate electric bills

HARTFORD, Conn. (WTNH) — The state’s top Republicans sent an open letter to Gov. Ned Lamont on Friday, urging him to use the state’s surplus to help calm soaring electric rates.

The letter is signed by Rep. Vincent Candelora (District 86) , the House Republican leader, and Sen. Stephen Harding (District 30), the Senate Republican leader. The two are r enewing their call for a special session to address the rising energy costs.

“In the beginning of July, electric customers saw a drastic increase in the public benefits portion of their electric bills, and the additional increase approved by PURA yesterday makes it unconscionable for us to sit idle while thousands have signed petitions and called their elected officials demanding action,” the two Republicans wrote. “At the very least a joint meeting facilitated by your office should be convened to address this situation immediately.”

They point to the state’s predicted $329 million surplus for the 2024 fiscal year as a solution to cover the cost of the new electric vehicle charging program, which is partly to blame for the increases imposed by Eversource and United Illuminating.

“You may also be aware of the long-term proposals that Senate and House Republicans have offered since February that would address the high electricity costs that residents are experiencing,” Candelora and Harding wrote. “These effects are the direct result of the public policies implemented by the Democrat-led legislature and the state. While it may be politically convenient for some to ask PURA to delay or amortize such costs to reduce the price shock, the obligation to discuss all options should be a priority of your office. We believe that policy decisions are the purview of the legislature and until we as a body act to address those public policies, deferring to PURA to do so does little to address the high long-term costs we face today and in the outyears, when additional policies will begin to be implemented.”

A petition on change.org demanding Lamont to take action on the prices has gained more than 45,500 signatures, as of Friday afternoon. The petition leads with a picture of a user’s $942.59 bill, with $200.95 of the cost coming from the “public benefits” portion. Public benefits cover the cost of to buy power from the Millstone nuclear power plant, and to cover unpaid bills from the pandemic.

A spokesperson for Lamont told News 8 earlier this week that he’s open to considering “practical solutions” to lowering costs.

“This is not a partisan issue as we all agree that we need a solution to lower energy costs,” the spokesperson said.

Eversource and UI bills are anticipated to rise again after PURA voted Wednesday to approve the new rates. The energy companies have said that the increase will help pay for the electric vehicle charging grid. It’s estimated the change will cost the average home $3 a month from Sept. 1 to April 30, 2025 for Eversource customers.

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