PURA Schedules Eversource Hearing for August 24

The state’s Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA) has scheduled a public hearing for Monday, August 24, beginning at 10:00 a.m. This hearing is in response to PURA’s recent approval of Eversource’s request to increase its delivery rate. Between work-from-home orders and hot summer weather, customer electric bills were bound to be higher than usual. Raising rates on top of all this was not the right thing to do.

The hearing will take place over Zoom. PURA officials will be questioning Eversource representatives to determine whether or not the electric distribution company had been over-collecting revenues in the short term at the expense of their customers.

Public officials will be allowed to speak at the beginning of the hearing followed by the evidentiary portion of the proceedings. Members of the public will be invited to speak at the end. You may also submit testimony to PURA at any time by emailing pura.information@ct.gov.

To register for the meeting, click here.

Meeting ID# 927 7463 1605

The hearing will also be streamed on Connecticut Network (CT-N).

The legislature’s Energy and Technology Committee has called for a public hearing on Eversource’s storm management response, delivery rate increase, initiatives to improve the grid, and investment in powerline workers.

As of this morning, 34,000 Eversource customers remain without power, down from an initial high of 632,632. Both New Canaan and Wilton are expected to have power substantially (more than 99%) restored by 11:59 p.m. this evening, although that means many of us will have gone without electricity for more than a week by the time it comes back on. This is unacceptable.

For the past few years, I have introduced and reintroduced a proposal to bring in private sector investment in green power sources. More competition and more energy options are needed to ensure efficiency and reliability in our power grid, level the playing field within the Connecticut energy market, and ensure customers are getting a fair deal. The bill would have the added benefit of creating thousands of job in our state. Unfortunately, Eversource has successfully fought against my proposal each year.

While many of us have been frustrated with Eversource and their management in recent weeks, their hardworking employees deserve to be recognized and thanked for their tireless work on the lines. Many of them have spent countless hours away from their own families while restoring power to hundreds of thousands of residents. They perform a dangerous, but essential job, and I am grateful for their help.