ENERGY & TECHNOLOGY LEADERS, ATTORNEY GENERAL TONG, CONSUMER COUNSEL COLEMAN REINFORCE NEED FOR STRONG OVERSIGHT OF CONNECTICUT UTILITY SECTOR
Today, leaders of the Energy & Technology Committee including Senate and House Chairs State Senator Norm Needleman (D-Essex) and State Representative Jonathan Steinberg (D-Westport), Senate Ranking Member State Senator Ryan Fazio (R-Greenwich), Attorney General William Tong and Consumer Counsel Claire Coleman gathered to reinforce the need for and importance of Connecticut’s regulatory environment on utility companies.
Since Connecticut deregulated its energy market in the late 1990s, energy costs in the state rose to some of the highest in the nation. In that time, residents saw poor performance by utility companies, especially in response to significant storms, spurring significant changes in state regulations to address these disparities.
Since then, utilities have claimed under increased regulations that they may not be able to invest in Connecticut and have called out Public Utilities Regulatory Authority staff by name, despite their track record in the absence of regulations speaking for itself.
“Even after the passage of new regulations in recent years, utility companies continue to see record profits and executive pay has remained in the millions of dollars,” said Sen. Needleman. “I’m more focused on the needs of their customers struggling to make ends meet and facing exorbitant utility bills, some of the highest in the country, without receiving the performance level they deserve. That’s why my colleagues and I have supported performance-based ratemaking, where utilities need to deliver on their promises. If the utilities put half the effort they’ve thrown into fighting these regulations into doing things they should have done years ago, we probably wouldn’t be here.”
“Connecticut ratepayers demanded that Government hold the electric utilities accountable. We’ve passed laws to enable PURA to do just that,” said Rep. Steinberg. “The utilities will have to adjust to the new performance-based compensation paradigm. They should respect the process and not seek to undermine it. There’s plenty of profit to be made by investing in our state’s energy future. Let’s not get distracted by this ill-advised public campaign.”
“We need a balanced regulatory environment in Connecticut to better protect consumers,” said Sen. Fazio. “Independent reviews and ratings of the level of customer service of utilities in Connecticut have consistently fallen short of satisfactory and fall far below the average of the country. I believe that strong regulatory oversight is necessary to rectify that.”
“The Public Utilities Regulatory Authority’s review of United Illuminating’s request for a rate hike was comprehensive and fulsome,” said AG Tong. “It included 16 days of hearings and thousands of interrogatories over the past year-plus, giving UI’s leadership ample opportunity to make the case that they need $131 million more from ratepayers—and they did not meet their burden. It was always on UI’s leaders to justify this rate hike, and they failed to meet that standard. There is no doubt that PURA is rigorous and demanding and the decision is fair, well-reasoned and thoughtful.”
“Connecticut is a leader in utility regulatory reform, and I am proud to stand with our state regulators, fellow state officials, and legislators on both sides of the aisle who continue to fight utility demands for a blank check signed by Connecticut’s ratepayers,” said Consumer Counsel Coleman. “We understand that we need to make major investments in our energy grid, and that our utility companies are entitled to a return on those investments that they can demonstrate are benefiting customers. But we refuse to accept a system where companies are granted whatever they ask for even without the proper justification.”
In recent years, legislators have worked to improve standards of operation for Connecticut utilities after a number of storms and related outages, as well as high consumer costs, have led to criticism of utility practices.
In June, the General Assembly passed Senate Bill 7, which sought to close loopholes and improve standards of service for utility customers. It prevents utility companies from using ratepayer funds for lobbying expenses as well as board of director/officer food, drink, transportation and entertainment. Further, the bill created a fund allowing ratepayer and ratepayer organizations legal representation to challenge utility rate increase proposals and strengthened Connecticut’s utility regulatory environment.
These changes are significant; from 2016 to 2021, Connecticut utilities spent more than $110 million on regulatory commission expenses; under the bill, companies would now need to pay for expenses from shareholder profits, not ratepayers’ pockets. Further, the ending of charging ratepayers for expenses comes as some utility companies have not had lobbying and advertising expenses, among others, scrutinized for nearly a decade.
The legislation also provides the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority with increased authority to order rate decoupling for electric or gas rate cases, disincentivizing companies from selling more energy to increase energy and profits and emphasizing performance metrics to ensure state ratepayers receive the quality of service they deserve.
This built on the “Take Back Our Grid Act,” passed in 2020, which created a framework establishing performance-based ratemaking. Under performance-based ratemaking, state regulators establish standards of consumer care that utilities must meet and regulate utilities based on those standards. It further took action to tie portions of executive salaries paid by ratepayers to company performance, required utilities to provide credits to customers when power outages last more than four days, and develop minimum staffing levels for staff.
SEN. CABRERA JOINS IN OPPOSITION TO ‘UNCONSCIONABLE’ PROPOSED INSURANCE RATE HIKES
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, August 21, 2023
SEN. CABRERA JOINS IN OPPOSITION TO ‘UNCONSCIONABLE’ PROPOSED INSURANCE RATE HIKES
State Senator Jorge Cabrera testifies at a public hearing in opposition to proposed 2024 rate hikes by several Connecticut insurance companies.
HARTFORD – State Senator Jorge Cabrera (D-Hamden), who is Senate Chairman of the legislature’s Insurance and Real Estate Committee, today joined members of the public in expressing his opposition to the proposed 2024 insurance rate increases submitted by nine different Connecticut health insurers.
Speaking at today’s state Insurance Department public hearing on the proposed rate hikes, Sen. Cabrera urged the state Insurance Department to reject the proposed rate increases as submitted because they are “unconscionable, unaffordable and unsustainable for those who need this coverage most.”
“Middle- and lower-class families are already burdened by the current cost of health insurance, and these increases would only exacerbate the problem,” Sen. Cabrera testified. “While we’ve
taken several steps over the years to address the rising cost of healthcare and prescription drugs, residents simply cannot afford staggering rate increases like the ones being proposed this year.”
The 10 filings by nine different Connecticut health insurers are for health insurance plans that currently cover approximately 188,000 people. The proposed average individual rate request increase is 12.4 percent, and ranges from 9.8 percent to 17.5 percent. The proposed average small group rate request increase is 14.8 percent, and ranges from 7.5 percent to 23 percent.
The Insurance Department will conduct actuarial reviews on each filing to determine if they are justified and will either approve, reject, or modify the request. The department expects to make final rulings on the proposals in early September.
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Connecticut is Investing in The Valley
Connecticut is Investing in The Valley
A few weeks ago, I was in Naugatuck with Mayor Pete Hess to promote a new $5.7 million state grant to revitalize Rubber Avenue when someone asked me why the street is named Rubber Avenue.
If you’re not from the Valley, you probably don’t know about Uniroyal Tire, which began as the United States Rubber Company in Naugatuck back in 1892 and which was one of the 12 original American companies that made up the New York Stock Exchange. Uniroyal’s 35 factory buildings were once located on 86 acres just off Rubber Avenue, along the Naugatuck River.
Uniroyal is one of those industrial-era companies that went through a lot of changes in ownership until it closed in 1979, leaving behind a lonelier Main Street, a polluted property, and a local historical society wondering that to do with lots of old photos and pamphlets. It’s a story that’s been repeated hundreds of times all across America as technology advances and the Cheney silk mills of Manchester (“Silk City”), the brass factories of Waterbury (“Brass City”), and the steamed beaver and rabbit pelt hats of Danbury (“Hat City”) all fade into obscurity.
But then what? What do we do with these old buildings, and their polluted properties, and the jobs and the lonely Main Streets they left behind? Who pays to make things better, to make up for the lost tax revenue, to set the table so new jobs and industry can move in and succeed?
Well, I’m happy to tell you that, at least around here, Connecticut is investing in The Valley.
The Rubber Avenue project I mentioned above is funded through a new state program called the Community Investment Fund. Passed in 2021 with 97 percent of state legislators voting “yes,” the fund sets aside $875 million over five years so cities and towns can make small business loans, improve water and sewer connections (like on Rubber Avenue), prevent power outages after storms, or build affordable housing, senior centers and libraries.
Rubber Avenue is getting drainage improvements, new sidewalks (esp. helpful to the high school students down the road), landscaping, and a roundabout at the intersection of Meadow and Cherry Streets. There’s another state DOT grant for a pedestrian bridge downtown, and another federal grant for the Naugatuck Senior Center (where I also was a few weeks ago!)
Last year, Naugatuck received $3 million from the state to help clean up the old Uniroyal site, where the Naugatuck River would sometimes turn the color of whatever Keds sneakers they were dying that day (25 years ago, the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection spent $4 million to help clean up the Naugatuck River so people could actually catch and eat the sea trout that swim there.) Over the past few years, the city has also received a $1 million upgrade to the YMCA, $870,000 for the Brass City Charter School, $1 million for elderly housing and $2 million to rehabilitate the Derby-Shelton Bridge over the Naugatuck River.
Ansonia recently received $6.5 million in CIF funds to help clean up the 50-acreAnsonia Copper and Brass Site in Liberty Street. In just the past three years, the State Bond Commission has approved $9.2 million in economic development projects for Ansonia. As my friend Ansonia
Mayor David Cassetti said not too long ago, “Downtown Ansonia looks very different than it once did: from new businesses and apartments going up, to acres of old, blighted buildings being torn down.”
Over the past few years Derby has received $1.3 million grant to replace emergency generators at Griffin Hospital, $200,000 to renovate the Century Center, $5 million to rebuild downtown infrastructure, $3 million for athletic fields at Derby High School, $100,000 for the Derby Library, and $150,000 for school playgrounds, windows and floors.
My hometown of Hamden has benefitted too, with $1.35 million to renovate the Keefe Center, $4.3 million for a new firehouse, $4 million for elderly housing, $4.3 million for an emergency operations center, and $4 million to purchase homes in the Newhall section built on a landfill.
What does all this mean? I think it means that, even as local industries come and go and leave a legacy of good and bad behind them, life moves on and we need to invest in ourselves. The Valley will probably never be a tech hub like Palo Alto or Boston, but we can invest in the people and places who still call The Valley home, and who want to build their lives here. And that’s what Connecticut is doing: investing in The Valley.
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SENATOR KUSHNER WELCOMES $135,000 FOR STUDENT SUMMER MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES THROUGH 2025
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, August 16, 2023
SENATOR KUSHNER WELCOMES $135,000 FOR STUDENT SUMMER MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES THROUGH 2025
DANBURY – State Senator Julie Kushner (D-Danbury) today welcomed the news that $135,000 in state grants will be awarded to the Danbury public school system to support mental health services for students over the summer through mid-2025.
Awarded through the state Department of Education’s Summer Mental Health Supports Grant program, these grants will support mental health services for students during summer months over a three-year period. The grants are the result of legislation passed by the General Assembly and spearheaded by Senate Democrats during the 2022 legislative session.
“Last year I was proud to vote for Senate Bill 1 – our caucus’s top legislative priority – which addressed childhood mental and physical health services in schools. Part of that was providing grants for school districts to hire and retain more school social workers, school psychologists, school counselors and nurses,” Sen. Kushner said. “Mental health is 365 days a year. It doesn’t take summers off. Our children deserve our caring and support, and this grant will help accomplish that in Danbury.”
“The need for mental health support services among youths does not stop at the end of the school year, and these grants will enable these critical services to continue during the summer months,” said Governor Ned Lamont.
The competitive state grant program uses federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). This is the third of three rounds of grants the department is releasing with ARPA funding that are aimed at increasing access to mental health support services for youths in schools. Eligible costs incurred beginning in summer 2023 through summer 2025 are reimbursable under this grant program.
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SEN. OSTEN, HEBRON OFFICIALS WELCOME STATE FUNDNG TO INSTALL COMMUNITY WELLS FOR PLANNED HOUSING
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, August 16, 2023
SEN. OSTEN, HEBRON OFFICIALS WELCOME STATE FUNDNG TO INSTALL COMMUNITY WELLS FOR PLANNED HOUSING
HEBRON – State Senator Cathy Osten (D-Sprague) and Hebron officials today welcomed the news that the State of Connecticut has awarded Hebron a $2,106,000 state grant for the Hebron Town Center Initiative that will bring recreation, economic development, and future developments in town, including affordable housing.
Currently there is insufficient water capacity to grow the Hebron town center, and this infrastructure grant will help install community wells, which will help enable the construction of approximately 52 housing units on a 16.5-acre parcel of land on Church Street that St. Peter’s Episcopal Church purchased last fall.
“In a lot of small Connecticut towns, population growth and housing growth and economic growth is often stifled by a lack of basic, necessary infrastructure like water lines, sewer lines, storm water management and electrical service. This state grant for Hebron, with a population of about 9,600 people, is absolutely key to unlocking the water that will be needed to serve new homes, grow Hebron’s population, its tax base, and launch more economic activity. I’m very happy for Hebron,” Sen. Osten said.
“This state grant is huge. It’s going to get the ball rolling in a few different ways. It’s going to give us money to do exploratory drilling on the property,” Hebron Town Manager Andy Tierney said. “This project will be a big economic boost for the center of town, and I want to thank Senator Osten for listening to us and getting this grant through.”
Amy D’Amaddio, president of the Coalition on Diversity & Equity (CoDE) which seeks to improve affordable housing, economic development and education in Hebron, Marlborough, Andover and Columbia, said she’s excited with the changes the grant can bring.
“It’s important to recognize that segregation will continue without state government making investments in infrastructure. People can’t move to these areas, and we can’t see the development that we want to see, without government supporting infrastructure like water and sewer lines,” D’Amaddio said. “The community well that will be built on St. Peter’s property will make this housing a reality.”
The Hebron grant is part of a total $23 million in state funds that have just been awarded to eight towns and cities under the third round of the recently launched Connecticut Communities Challenge Grant program. Administered by the state Department of Economic and Community Development, this program was created in 2021 with the purpose of funding a wide range of revitalization projects that will spur the growth of new jobs.
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STATEMENT OF SEN. CHRISTINE COHEN RE: CT’S CLEAN AIR STANDARDS
STATEMENT OF SEN. CHRISTINE COHEN RE: CT’S CLEAN AIR STANDARDS
State Senator Christine Cohen (D-Guilford), who is Senate Chair of the General Assembly’s Transportation Committee and who previously served as Chair of the Environment Committee, issued the following statement today in response to Republican criticisms of Connecticut’s proposed clean air regulations:
“Let’s begin with the fact that in 2004, both Democrats and Republicans in the General Assembly saw the near-unanimous passage of “An Act Concerning Clean Cars,” by which we agreed to adopt light-duty emissions standards promulgated by the State of California. We all agreed to that, Democrats and Republicans alike. The bill was signed into law by Governor Rowland.
“Now, today, many states across America are trying to catch up with Connecticut when it comes to clean air standards for motor vehicles. Massachusetts and New York have already passed these more stringent California emissions regulations, and Connecticut is surrounded by other New England states that are in the midst of writing their new emissions regulations. Most major automobile manufacturers have also made a commitment to clean air by discontinuing the production of internal combustion engines – many prior to when our regulations will take effect. Ford, General Motors, Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, Jaguar/Land Rover, and Uber have all pledged to end the manufacture or use of internal combustion engines by 2040, with some making promises for 2025 and 2030.
“So I say to my Republican colleagues, this should not be a partisan issue. We should be working together to honor our past promises and to preserve our environment. We’ve got young adults across America who are right now suing their states, and winning, because we’ve got a climate crisis on our hands that is ruining our planet for future generations. And we cannot do enough fast enough to halt and reverse that. Now is the time to come together to make these cars more affordable and easier to use for our constituents. The markets are shifting, and Connecticut needs to be prepared — partisanship will only slow progress.”
SENATOR KUSHNER WELCOMES $135,000 FOR STUDENT SUMMER MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES THROUGH 2025
SENATOR KUSHNER WELCOMES $135,000 FOR STUDENT SUMMER MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES THROUGH 2025
DANBURY – State Senator Julie Kushner (D-Danbury) today welcomed the news that $135,000 in state grants will be awarded to the Danbury public school system to support mental health services for students over the summer through mid-2025.
Awarded through the state Department of Education’s Summer Mental Health Supports Grant program, these grants will support mental health services for students during summer months over a three-year period. The grants are the result of legislation passed by the General Assembly and spearheaded by Senate Democrats during the 2022 legislative session.
“Last year I was proud to vote for Senate Bill 1 – our caucus’s top legislative priority – which addressed childhood mental and physical health services in schools. Part of that was providing grants for school districts to hire and retain more school social workers, school psychologists, school counselors and nurses,” Sen. Kushner said. “Mental health is 365 days a year. It doesn’t take summers off. Our children deserve our caring and support, and this grant will help accomplish that in Danbury.”
“The need for mental health support services among youths does not stop at the end of the school year, and these grants will enable these critical services to continue during the summer months,” said Governor Ned Lamont.
The competitive state grant program uses federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). This is the third of three rounds of grants the department is releasing with ARPA funding that are aimed at increasing access to mental health support services for youths in schools. Eligible costs incurred beginning in summer 2023 through summer 2025 are reimbursable under this grant program.
SENATOR KUSHNER WELCOMES $135,000 FOR STUDENT SUMMER MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES THROUGH 2025
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, August 16, 2023
SENATOR KUSHNER WELCOMES $135,000 FOR STUDENT SUMMER MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES THROUGH 2025
DANBURY – State Senator Julie Kushner (D-Danbury) today welcomed the news that $135,000 in state grants will be awarded to the Danbury public school system to support mental health services for students over the summer through mid-2025.
Awarded through the state Department of Education’s Summer Mental Health Supports Grant program, these grants will support mental health services for students during summer months over a three-year period. The grants are the result of legislation passed by the General Assembly and spearheaded by Senate Democrats during the 2022 legislative session.
“Last year I was proud to vote for Senate Bill 1 – our caucus’s top legislative priority – which addressed childhood mental and physical health services in schools. Part of that was providing grants for school districts to hire and retain more school social workers, school psychologists, school counselors and nurses,” Sen. Kushner said. “Mental health is 365 days a year. It doesn’t take summers off. Our children deserve our caring and support, and this grant will help accomplish that in Danbury.”
“The need for mental health support services among youths does not stop at the end of the school year, and these grants will enable these critical services to continue during the summer months,” said Governor Ned Lamont.
The competitive state grant program uses federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). This is the third of three rounds of grants the department is releasing with ARPA funding that are aimed at increasing access to mental health support services for youths in schools. Eligible costs incurred beginning in summer 2023 through summer 2025 are reimbursable under this grant program.
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SENS. HARTLEY & CABRERA WELCOME $3 MILLION STATE INVESTMENT IN NAUGATUCK YMCA CHILDCARE CENTER
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, August 15, 2023
SENS. HARTLEY & CABRERA WELCOME $3 MILLION STATE INVESTMENT IN NAUGATUCK YMCA CHILDCARE CENTER
NAUGATUCK – State Senators Joan Hartley (D-Waterbury) and Jorge Cabrera (D-Hamden) today welcomed the news that the State of Connecticut is investing $3 million to expand the Naugatuck YMCA’s childcare facility by renovating the adjacent vacant Saint Frances Parochial School.
The plans include a licensed birth to five childcare center, school and teen programming, a teenage recreational center, and family resources. Located less than a half mile from the newly planned rail line platform and 200 mixed-rate apartments, the expansion will help meet childcare needs in the area.
Just last year, Sen. Hartley welcomed a different $1 million state investment in the Naugatuck YMCA for upgrades including roof repairs.
“Every investment in childcare is an investment in economic development. With the expansion of the Naugatuck Y’s childcare facility, we will enable more parents to return to the workplace knowing they have nearby quality, affordable and accessible childcare,” Sen. Hartley said. “Having recently secured a state bonding allocation for the Naugatuck Y, and now with the CCC grant, I am thrilled to see this program come to fruition.”
“When we created this program two years ago, I knew good things were going to happen for the people of Connecticut. Now we’ve got childcare expansion and a teen rec center at a time in Naugatuck when the economy is booming, more folks are working full-time and new housing is being built,” said Sen. Cabrera, who represents the southern half of Naugatuck. “This is the right investment at the right time, and I couldn’t be happier that Naugatuck was awarded this state grant.”
Naugatuck YMCA CEO Mark LaFortune said over the past two years, his organization has received a total of $5.9 million in state and federal grants, and that this latest grant will have a positive impact on Naugatuck.
“We’re going to create a state-of-the-art facility for local families, from birth to adult,” LaFortune said. “And one of the things we learned throughout the pandemic is that our teens need more services and more places to go. This grant will help create that for teens and serve them in a supervised environment.”
Governor Ned Lamont recently announced that the state is awarding a total of $23 million to eight towns and cities – including Naugatuck – under the third round of his administration’s
recently launched Connecticut Communities Challenge Grant program. Administered by the state Department of Economic and Community Development, the program was created in 2021 with the purpose of funding a wide range of revitalization projects that will spur the growth of new jobs. This third round of grants leverages approximately $105 million in non-state dollars.
More details on the Connecticut Communities Challenge Grant program can be found online at portal.ct.gov/DECD/Content/Business-Development/05_Funding_Opportunities/CT-Communities-Challenge-Grant.
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SENS. HARTLEY & CABRERA WELCOME $3 MILLION STATE INVESTMENT IN NAUGATUCK YMCA CHILDCARE CENTER
SENS. HARTLEY & CABRERA WELCOME $3 MILLION STATE INVESTMENT IN NAUGATUCK YMCA CHILDCARE CENTER
NAUGATUCK – State Senators Joan Hartley (D-Waterbury) and Jorge Cabrera (D-Hamden) today welcomed the news that the State of Connecticut is investing $3 million to expand the Naugatuck YMCA’s childcare facility by renovating the adjacent vacant Saint Frances Parochial School.
The plans include a licensed birth to five childcare center, school and teen programming, a teenage recreational center, and family resources. Located less than a half mile from the newly planned rail line platform and 200 mixed-rate apartments, the expansion will help meet childcare needs in the area.
Just last year, Sen. Hartley welcomed a different $1 million state investment in the Naugatuck YMCA for upgrades including roof repairs.
“Every investment in childcare is an investment in economic development. With the expansion of the Naugatuck Y’s childcare facility, we will enable more parents to return to the workplace knowing they have nearby quality, affordable and accessible childcare,” Sen. Hartley said. “Having recently secured a state bonding allocation for the Naugatuck Y, and now with the CCC grant, I am thrilled to see this program come to fruition.”
“When we created this program two years ago, I knew good things were going to happen for the people of Connecticut. Now we’ve got childcare expansion and a teen rec center at a time in Naugatuck when the economy is booming, more folks are working full-time and new housing is being built,” said Sen. Cabrera, who represents the southern half of Naugatuck. “This is the right investment at the right time, and I couldn’t be happier that Naugatuck was awarded this state grant.”
Naugatuck YMCA CEO Mark LaFortune said over the past two years, his organization has received a total of $5.9 million in state and federal grants, and that this latest grant will have a positive impact on Naugatuck.
“We’re going to create a state-of-the-art facility for local families, from birth to adult,” LaFortune said. “And one of the things we learned throughout the pandemic is that our teens need more services and more places to go. This grant will help create that for teens and serve them in a supervised environment.”
Governor Ned Lamont recently announced that the state is awarding a total of $23 million to eight towns and cities – including Naugatuck – under the third round of his administration’s recently launched Connecticut Communities Challenge Grant program. Administered by the state Department of Economic and Community Development, the program was created in 2021 with the purpose of funding a wide range of revitalization projects that will spur the growth of new jobs. This third round of grants leverages approximately $105 million in non-state dollars.