Fasano Questions Why PURA Approved Eversource Rate Increases the Same Regulators are Now Investigating  

August 20, 2020

With PURA’s public hearing set for Monday, Sen. Fasano is asking PURA to identify errors that led regulators to approve Eversource rate increases.

 

Senate Republican Leader Len Fasano (R-North Haven) is questioning the decision-making process that led state regulators to approve Eversource rate increases in 2017 and 2020. Today Fasano wrote to Chairman Marissa Gillette of the Connecticut Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA) asking questions about what led to PURA’s decisions earlier this year and back in 2017 to approve Eversource rate increases and whether those decisions were made in error.

 

Sen. Fasano’s questions come as PURA plans to hold a virtual public hearing on Monday, August 24 at 10:00 am on the Eversource rate increases, and the General Assembly’s Energy & Technology Committee has announced an informational hearing with Eversource’s CEO Jim Judge to take place a week from today to discuss Eversource’s recent rate increases and response to Tropical Storm Isaias.

 

Fasano is asking PURA to identify any errors in information provided to PURA or any errors in the Authority’s decision-making process that led PURA to approve rate increases in 2017 and 2020 in a process overseen by the Attorney General.

 

“In recent days, you have vowed to review recent rate increases and have spoken about the need for investigations to hold Eversource accountable to ratepayers,” Fasano wrote. “These investigations will undoubtedly examine the very rate increases PURA previously approved in a rate review process overseen by the Attorney General…It is imperative that lawmakers hear from all perspectives in these proceedings and I ask that you provide responses to these questions so that we can fully understand the history of the situation at hand to determine how to best help ratepayers.”

 

Sen. Fasano’s letter asked the following questions:

 

1. Can you identify any errors in information provided to PURA or any errors in the Authority’s decision-making process that led PURA to approve rate increases in 2017 and 2020?

 

2. Specific questions regarding the 2017 rate increase (Docket 17-10-46):

    • What were the improvements Eversource was seeking to recover costs?
    • Why was demand for energy decreasing and why did that result in higher rates?
    • Why should Eversource have been entitled to depreciation if it was being compensated for $2 billion in improvements?

3. Specific questions regarding the 2020 rate increase (Docket 20-01-01):

    • Why does demand continue to decrease and what are your projections for continued decreases in demand for the next 10 years?
    • If the agreement reached to purchase energy from Millstone did not take place, where else would the state be able to get zero-carbon emissions energy to satisfy the statutory goals?

 

“While PURA is overseen by the Department of Energy & Environmental Protection, not the legislature, I hope we both agree that executive branch agencies and authorities must be fully transparent with the legislature so we can improve how ratepayers are being represented and protected. We are asking our utilities to be fully open, and we need the same of our state regulators,” Fasano wrote.

 

Click here to read Sen. Fasano’s letter.