Connecticut Republicans continue push for special session on electric rates

HARTFORD, Conn. (WTNH) — Republican lawmakers are making a renewed push for a special session to address the rising cost of electricity in Connecticut.

The calls come in response to widespread public outcry over summer electric bills that surprised many ratepayers.

“State leadership needs to act and they need to act now,” state Sen. Ryan Fazio (District 36), the ranking Republican on the legislature’s energy committee, said.

The Republicans have put forward a five point plan:

1. Eliminating public benefits charges from ratepayer bills.
2. Using what’s left of Connecticut’s federal COVID-19 relief funds to offset costs currently passed on to ratepayers.
3. Capping future power purchase agreements.
4. Redefining class 1 renewable energy sources to include all forms of nuclear and hydropower.
5. Making the state’s utility regulator, PURA, an independent agency again.

Gov. Ned Lamont told reporters on Tuesday that he was “probably not” going to call a special session.

In the governor’s view, the solution to the high cost of energy in Connecticut lies with addressing underlying challenges with the supply of energy that powers the state’s homes and businesses.

Lamont said he plans to convene a bipartisan meeting with the leaders of the legislature’s energy committee to discuss proposals that address high costs.

“If you want to have a special session, I just, I don’t want a lot of cosmetics,” Lamont said, adding that, “Short term subsidies are not the answer to the problem. The answer to this problem is get more supply of energy to bring down the price for everybody.”

The public benefits charges have been a particular sticking point in the discussion of higher-than-expected electric bills. Revenue from the public benefits charges is used to fund state-mandated energy programs, a point the utilities are quick to point out.

“The Public Benefits Charge is a pass-through cost for UI that we don’t control or profit from, and we are pleased that state programs and mandates are now being correctly identified as the cause of the bill increases customers are currently experiencing,” a spokesperson for United Illuminating wrote.

Eversource did not offer comment on the political back-and-forth over a special session, but the company has repeatedly stated that regulators’ handling of state-mandated public benefits charges is a key culprit in this summer’s bills.

The Republicans proposal calls for placing the costs for the programs funded by the public benefits charge back in the state’s regular budgeting process.

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