Rep. Foncello Petitioning for Special Session on Electric Rates

Lawmakers continue to offer proposals for long-term relief

House and Senate Republicans are petitioning for a special legislative session to tackle perpetually high electric rates in Connecticut.

The petition, which will be submitted to Connecticut’s Secretary of the State, states that the lawmakers deem it “necessary for the General Assembly to meet in special session” for the purpose of passing several policies which aim to provide ratepayers with long-term relief.

“Our ask of Governor Lamont and House majority leaders to call us into Special Session to address this issue, after trying to prevent it from happening with our suggestions back in February, has gone unanswered. Now we’re petitioning to call us into Special Session,” said Foncello.

Republicans unveiled www.SpecialSessionCT.com for residents to reach out directly to legislative Democrats to demand a special session.

Earlier this month, Connecticut Republicans held a news conference at the Legislative Office Building where they outlined proposals to provide rate relief to customers who for years have been frustrated by costly bills that they say are squeezing their personal finances.

The proposals mirror those offered by the House and Senate Republicans in February, when they urged action as they reminded Democrats about the financial pressure on constituents caused by high electric bills.

The proposals outlined in the petition include:

• Moving “Public Benefit Charges” permanently off ratepayer bills
• Providing immediate electric rate relief by reallocating unobligated end-of-year American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds and re-examining budgetary options that could make available additional dollars to (a) cover the portions of rate increases associated with the moratorium on electric service shutoffs and the costs associated with electric vehicle charging programs and (b) provide additional rate relief to ratepayers to the maximum extent possible as funds allow
• Capping all future Power Purchase Agreements to no more than 150% over the wholesale electric market price
• Redefining Class I renewable energy sources to enable competition to lower the cost of these energy sources
• Restoring the independence of the Public Utility Regulatory Authority (PURA), by separating it from the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP).