Sen. Gordon Reacts to PURA Approval of Eversource Rate Hike

State Sen. Jeff Gordon (R-Woodstock) today responded to the state’s Public Utilities Regulatory Authority’s (PURA) decision to approve Eversource’s proposed 18.7 percent rate increase, effective July 1.

“Connecticut’s hard-working people, families, retirees, and job-creating small businesses are already in a tough position, and this makes things worse. Most people do not have an extra roughly $40 a month ($480 a year) because they are living paycheck-to-paycheck or otherwise facing hardships to make ends meet. This won’t be sustainable. Connecticut is already a high-cost-of-living state.

“People need to know that this situation was preventable and is borne from policy decisions before I joined the legislature: existing nuclear power purchase agreements and the Governor’s moratorium on service terminations during the pandemic. Although these policies might have merits, they must be paid for. They account for the $784 million in costs that Eversource will recover. These polices do not reflect today’s realities.

“I joined my Republican colleagues a year ago to change our course. We proposed meaningful ways to make energy costs less expensive in the state, work toward a sustainable and cost-effective energy procurement process, and allow for better oversight of utilities. I supported major legislation that passed to address these concerns and to protect energy consumers. This year, my Republican colleagues and I proposed to use remaining ARPA money to help defray the costs of big electricity rate hikes.

“I agree with Chairwoman Gillett that it was a missed opportunity to not phase-in the rate increase over several years. Now, ratepayers face a big hit starting July 1. This is unfair. I will continue to advocate for commonsense ways to make energy and other necessities in Connecticut more affordable.”

The public may contact Senator Gordon at [email protected] with their input, or for further assistance.