Senator Berthel Joins Call for Special Legislative Session to Address High Electric Rates in Connecticut

Lawmakers continue to offer proposals for long-term relief

(Watch the press conference here.)

(Demand a Special Session at www.SpecialSessionCT.com)

HARTFORD, CT – Senator Eric Berthel (R-Watertown), alongside House and Senate Republican leaders, is advocating for a special legislative session aimed at tackling the persistently high electric rates burdening Connecticut households and businesses. The petition, set to be submitted to Connecticut’s Secretary of the State, emphasizes the urgent need for the General Assembly to convene and implement policies designed to provide long-term financial relief to ratepayers.

“It is beyond time to reconvene a special session to fix this problem,” stated Senator Berthel. “The public benefits charge is crushing households and businesses that are already trying to make ends meet in a high-cost-of-living environment.”

House Republican Leader Vincent Candelora and Senate Republican Leader Stephen Harding echoed this sentiment, calling for a bipartisan effort to address the issue. “Republicans are all signing this petition, and we invite Democrats to join us and sign it,” they said. “Connecticut residents are being crushed by electricity bills. They are demanding action. Let’s listen to them. Let’s do something. The common sense policy solutions we are offering will serve as a foundation for improving the state’s energy landscape in a way that will benefit ratepayers in the long run.”

To galvanize public support, Republicans have launched www.SpecialSessionCT.com, a platform where residents can directly urge legislative Democrats to support the call for a special session.

Earlier this month, Connecticut Republicans held a news conference at the Legislative Office Building to outline their proposals for providing rate relief. These initiatives reflect proposals made in February, highlighting the ongoing financial pressure high electric bills impose on constituents.

The proposals outlined in the petition 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 (PURA), by separating it from the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP).

Senator Berthel and fellow Republicans urge swift action to alleviate the financial burden on Connecticut’s residents and businesses. The attached petition provides further insights into the proposed measures and the ongoing efforts to secure bipartisan support for this critical initiative.