Frustrated by last month’s hike in the Public Benefits Charge on their Eversource and United Illuminating (UI) electric bills, a growing number of Connecticut residents are planning to rally at the State Capitol on September 12.
The organizers, who are mobilizing through a Facebook event page, are demanding a special session of the state legislature to address what they see as an unjust burden on ratepayers. “We want our representatives at the Capitol to fix this issue,” the group states, signaling their intent to hold lawmakers accountable.
Cindy Jordan, one of the organizers behind the upcoming rally, says she took action because people were fed up and looking for ways to address their skyrocketing electricity bills. “People kept asking what they could actually do,” Jordan told Yankee Institute. She believes the rally is a direct way to “make [lawmakers] hear our voice,” emphasizing that “the only way to actually listen to our voice is at the State Capitol.”
Set to kick off at 9:00 a.m., the rally has nearly 100 confirmed attendees, with another 744 expressing an interest. Jordan noted the event is “getting a really good response,” pointing out that people are taking the day off from work, and stay-at-home parents are making plans to join the protest.
“The three things we really agreed on were the most important, because I said we got to keep this short and simple,” she said, emphasizing the importance of keeping their concerns focused. “If we ask for too much, they’re going to laugh us off, and I want them to hear us.”
The group is demanding that the Public Benefits Charge be temporarily suspended from electric bills until a special session can be held. “We feel like that’s the right thing to do because people did not prepare themselves for this,” Jordan said, highlighting concerns particularly for those on fixed incomes.
In addition, organizers are calling for the appointment of two more commissioners to the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA). Currently, PURA — a quasi-judicial agency responsible for interpreting and enforcing Connecticut’s utility regulations — has only three sitting members, despite state law requiring five. However, the group’s “ultimate goal” is to have the Public Benefits Charge paid out of the state’s general fund, pointing out that “there is a surplus in the state budget” that could be used for this purpose.
It appears some lawmakers are listening. On Tuesday (Aug. 27) House and Senate Republicans held a press conference announcing they are petitioning for a special session to “tackle perpetually high electric rates in Connecticut.”
After multiple pleas from Republicans to call a special session, Senate Minority Leader Stephen Harding (R-Brookfield) said the only option left was to officially petition for the special session.
Republicans are calling for permanently removing the Public Benefit Charges from electric bills. Additionally, the petition seeks immediate electric rate relief by reallocating unused funds from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) and exploring budgetary options to cover costs related to the moratorium on electric service shutoffs and electric vehicle charging rebate programs.
The petition also advocates for capping future Power Purchase Agreements at no more than 150% above the wholesale electric market price to prevent excessive costs. It proposes redefining Class I renewable energy sources to foster competition, thereby lowering the cost of these energy sources.
Finally, the petition demands the restoration of PURA’s independence by separating it from the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP), ensuring that utility regulation is free from undue influence.
Meanwhile, just one minute prior to the Republican press conference, Gov. Ned Lamont finally responded in a letter to Sen. Harding and Rep. Candelora. While he sidestepped the request for a special session, Lamont acknowledged, “Like you, I believe that Connecticut residents are paying too much for electricity and more needs to be done to lower energy costs.”
Gov. Lamont mentioned that he has “reached out to the chairs and ranking members of the Energy and Technology Committee to once again meet in the near future to continue discussion,” extending an invitation to Republicans to join in.
“At the meeting, we should discuss the costs and benefits of each of our supply options,” the governor wrote, adding that the solutions he’s been working are drawing down federal resources to strengthen the grid and collaborating on a regional basis to identify additional supply.
However, Gov. Lamont did not specify when this potential meeting might happen — a detail that likely won’t sit well with Connecticut ratepayers who are losing patience. A petition to remove the Public Benefit Charge from electric bills, launched on July 28 by Monroe resident Scott Pearson, has already received nearly 63,000 signatures, underscoring the growing frustration across the state.
