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Southeastern CT Legislators Dismayed at Inaction on Millstone Bill

Posted on June 8, 2017

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HARTFORD – House leadership announced yesterday that legislation seeking to change the rules for procuring electricity will not be brought before the House Chamber. The proposal would have tasked the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) to conduct a study of the effects of altering the current energy selling process to create a more competitive process by effectively eliminating the middle man between the consumer and Millstone Nuclear Power Plant in Waterford. State Representatives Kathleen McCarty (R-Waterford), Holly Cheeseman (R-East Lyme) and Mike France (R-Ledyard) are very disappointed with the majority party’s lack of action on this legislation.

Millstone currently produces about 40% of the state’s energy portfolio.  Replacing nuclear generation with natural gas generation would push the regions dependence on natural gas generation to close to 80%, up from the current 40%.  The lack of fuel diversity may have impact on reliability and price stability in the region. While the price of natural gas greatly fluctuates dependent on the market, nuclear energy rates remain relatively constant. Currently, the station has two of its three reactors in commission.  Closing a second reactor, or the plant as a whole, could result in the loss of hundreds of high-paying jobs in the southeast region of the state.

“I supported and advocated for this important legislation because Millstone needs to continue to operate for the environmental and economic well-being of my district, the region and the entire state,” said Rep. McCarty, co-sponsor of the bill. “So many of my constituents are Millstone employees, and earn good wages. Millstone employs over 1,500, spending over $100 million in annual salaries. Additionally, Millstone contributes $1.5 billion in economic impact to the state. I cannot imagine the impact Waterford, and the state, would suffer if the plant’s doors were forced to close prematurely. It is inexcusable that this bill was not called in the House – a bill that had the potential to lower electricity costs through a competitive process and was in the best interest of our ratepayers. The House majority party has ignored the best interests of my district more than one session now, and it is very discouraging.”

Rep. Cheeseman, also a co-sponsor of the bill, said, “As a member of the Energy and Technology Committee I can honestly say that the State of Connecticut missed out on an advantageous opportunity yesterday when the majority party refused to bring up this bill before the end of session. Millstone supplies 98% of the state’s zero-carbon electricity. We cannot reach our commitment to reduce greenhouse gases if Millstone closes prematurely. Closing Millstone is the same as putting an additional 470,000 cars on the road every year – an adverse environmental impact that I’m not sure the state could reverse.”

“It is very unfortunate that we were not able to vote on this bill,” said Rep. France. “We owe it to all of our businesses and employers to hear and deliberate on their requests for our assistance. I want my constituents to be able to shop around for competitive energy prices. I know how expensive it is to live in this state, and I believe this bill would have provided some relief on that financial burden.”

In response to the legislature’s lack of action, Kevin Hennessy, spokesman for Dominion Energy Inc., the corporate owner of Millstone, told the Hartford Courant that they will be making “a strategic reassessment of [their] plans for Millstone Power Station.”

“It would be surprising and a missed opportunity for Connecticut not to reduce the highest electric rates in the continental United States, meet its long-term carbon goals and ensure the sustainability of a major employer this year given recent events,” Hennessy told the Courant.

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