Sen. Seminara Signs Petition for Special Legislative Session to Lower Electric Rates

Sen. Lisa Seminara and Connecticut Republican lawmakers are petitioning for a special legislative session at the State Capitol to tackle high electric rates in Connecticut.

“From Avon to Simsbury to Canton and throughout the 8th Senate District, people want Republicans and Democrats to work together and provide relief,” Sen. Seminara said. “I’m listening. There are solutions. This petition seeks to get the legislature back into a special session as soon as possible to stop the bleeding and fix this.”

Sen. Seminara urged residents to visit www.SpecialSessionCT.com to urge all lawmakers to take action.

The proposals outlined in the petition Sen. Seminara signed include:

• Moving “Public Benefit Charges” permanently off ratepayer bills
• Providing immediate electric rate relief by reallocating unobligated end-of-year American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds and re-examining budgetary options that could make available additional dollars to (a) cover the portions of rate increases associated with the moratorium on electric service shutoffs and the costs associated with electric vehicle charging programs and (b) provide additional rate relief to ratepayers to the maximum extent possible as funds allow
• Capping all future Power Purchase Agreements to no more than 150% over the wholesale electric market price
• Redefining Class I renewable energy sources to enable competition to lower the cost of these energy sources
• Restoring the independence of the Public Utility Regulatory Authority, by separating it from the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.

Photo Above:
Sen. Lisa Seminara stands next to a petition she has signed demanding that a Special Session of the state legislature be held as soon as possible to address sky-high electricity costs. Seminara represents Avon, Barkhamsted, Canton, Colebrook, Granby, Hartland, Harwinton, New Hartford, Norfolk, Simsbury and Torrington.