Rep. Polletta, CT Republicans Offer Ideas to Provide Consumers Relief on Electric Bills

As Connecticut residents are opening up their January electricity bills, Connecticut Republicans today unveiled a detailed six-point plan to bring about stability and relief for consumers.

“Electricity rates are a sustained scourge on taxpayers in Connecticut as the rising cost of energy continues to weigh them down. When residents look to their state leaders for solutions, they will see Republicans renewed their call for an approach to energy policy that prioritizes affordability and sustainability – lowering the burden on taxpayers and on the state’s electric grid,” Rep. Joe Polletta (R-68) said. “Now it’s up to Democrats in the supermajority to engage with our proposals and come to the table for this crucial discussion to lower the cost of energy.”

“It’s time for majority party Democrats who control the energy agenda to acknowledge what utility ratepayers and analysts have made clear: their entire approach to energy policy, rooted in flawed priorities and misguided philosophy, has failed everyone,” House Republican Leader Vincent Candelora said. “This session is an opportunity to shift toward affordability, and unfortunately their recent news conference made it clear they’re out of ideas. We urge Democrats to adopt our proposals as the foundation for the action residents want and deserve.”

The Republicans’ plan would:

1) remove Public Benefits Charges from electric bills

2) prohibit agreements that buy electricity at 150 % above the wholesale price

3) redefine “Class I renewable energy source” to include any

electricity generated from a hydropower or nuclear power generating facility

4) separate PURA from DEEP

5) eliminate any incentive program that increases electric demand, including, any electric vehicle rebate program

6) study ways to increase the supply of natural gas