August 9, 2024

State Rep. Bolinsky: Working to Lower Energy Costs

This article was archived from the previous WordPress site. Formatting and media should be close, but may not match the original post perfectly.

I appreciate everyone for reaching out to me about the SHOCK of our August electric bills.

Earlier today, we held a press conference to discuss policy matters responsible for Connecticut’s runaway cost of energy which is primarily due to a 4-year moratorium that originated not by a vote or legislative action, but by executive order, coupled with imposition of a series of emissions mandates, driven by another state’s costly, overly ambitious environmental mandates.

Watch the press conference below.

I say “overly ambitious” with a purpose, for cautionary reasons because the large, western state we had chosen to follow began building toward its mandates 20-years before us. This matters because they had a 20-year head start on technology, grid, transmission, and generation capacity. Despite this, rolling blackouts are a regular occurrence there, and the government can choose who gets blacked out by “smart metering”. How will you feel when the government decides if you get to light your home, use the oven, run your A/C, or charge your costly, new EV?

I believe zero carbon is our future. Just not on an arbitrary, unrealistic timeline with no limits on costs to rate & taxpayers. There’s no realistic or fiscally sane way our aged, fragile grid can handle the load, or be ready by 2035.

We’re calling on Governor Lamont to initiate a special session to tackle this crisis, to suspend the exorbitant government-imposed surcharges, to consider, and reconsider, several mitigation proposals, most of which we’ve been proposing for three years. They include:

Limit all future Power Purchase Agreements so that no contract can be for more than 150% over the wholesale electric market price.

Study moving public policy charges off ratepayer bills and into the budget.

Redefine Class I renewable energy sources to include all forms of hydropower and all nuclear power to lower the cost of these energy sources.

Separate the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) and the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA)

Cover the portion of rate increases associated the moratorium on electric service shutoffs by reallocating remaining end-of-year American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds and examining budgetary options that could make available as much as $1 billion.

You work hard. Economically, we’re faced with challenges as the CPI continues to devour what we earn. Your reward for paying your bills and taxes should not involve you having to foot the bill for those who don’t.