Legislative Informational Forum on Eversource Tomorrow:

Upcoming PURA Hearings in October

This week, the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA) held a virtual public hearing to review Eversource’s recent request to increase its delivery rate, which resulted in many customers receiving energy bills that were much higher than anticipated. PURA has since suspended the increase, and the hearing gave customers and public officials the opportunity to testify.

Eversource’s decision to increase rates on customer amid a pandemic, stay-at-home orders, and extreme heat was wrong. Many New Canaan and Wilton residents are now working remotely and running their businesses from their homes, and they are relying on power and internet access to do their jobs.

At the same time, others are experiencing unemployment, and any sudden increase in their monthly expenses will put further strain on their finances. In any case, the timing of this increase was misguided, and the company’s response to the storm and its aftermath is unacceptable.

If you were unable to watch the proceedings live, you may click here to view it on demand on Connecticut Network (CT-N).

You may also read opening statements from Penni Connor, Chief Customer Officer and Senior Vice President of the Customer Group for Eversource Energy, and Doug Horton, Vice President of Distribution Rates and Regulatory Requirements for Eversource.

To review the slides that were presented during the hearing, click here.

Below you will find information about more upcoming hearings regarding Eversource. If you were impacted by the storm and/or by the rate increase, I encourage you to submit testimony if you have not done so already.

Energy & Technology Informational Forum: TOMORROW

This forum will cover the response of Eversource and United Illuminating (UI) to Tropical Storm Isaias. It will take place via Zoom tomorrow, Thursday, August 27, beginning at 10:30 a.m.

While the hearing will not be open for public comment, you may submit written testimony (Word of PDF format) to ETtestimony@cga.ct.gov. Testimony may also be mailed to the Energy and Technology Committee Legislative Office Building, Room 3900, Hartford, CT 06106. Please keep testimony limited to matters related to Tropical Storm Isaias Utility Response and the July 2020 Electric Utility Rate Increases.

The hearing will be available live and on demand on CT-N.

The CEOs of both companies, Jim Judge (Eversource) and Tony Marone (UI), will be speaking as well as other company executives. You may click here for the full agenda.

Upcoming PURA Hearings: October 21-23

PURA has scheduled three consecutive hearings regarding the response of Eversource and UI to the recent storm. The hearings will take place between October 21 and 23. PURA is now accepting public testimony which may be emailed to pura.information@ct.gov. More information about these hearings are forthcoming, and I will share it with you when it becomes available.

If you have any questions about the above or any other state issue, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Email: Tom.ODea@housegop.ct.gov