We write today with urgency regarding your planned vote on Wednesday, August 14. As ratepayers across Connecticut are currently struggling with significant increases to their electric bills after the recent vote by PURA to advance rate recovery methods through spring 2025, our concern is this action, if taken, would further damage the people of our state and cause significant financial duress.
Supporting the increased adoption of electric vehicles in Connecticut is an admirable goal and seeks to meet the state’s efforts of shifting to zero-carbon, environmentally friendly modes of transportation. However, the timing of this vote couldn’t come at a worse time for both the consumers and ratepayers of our state. The double hit of July 2024 being the hottest July in the state’s history and significant increases to ratepayers’ bills has caused significant turmoil for far too many families in our state. Not only would this vote make that financial strain more challenging to absorb, but it would extend and worsen its timeframe at an inopportune time. August’s weather has provided some relief, but Connecticut experienced heat waves as late as September 7 in 2023, and continued aggressive heat could further press the issue.
Earlier this year, PURA Chair Marissa Gillett argued that the authority should vote to spread the recent increases to consumer bills over a two-year period to reduce their impact on consumers. This was an admirable effort to recognize the countless people relying on our electric utilities, but was unfortunately voted down in favor of a faster schedule that is currently causing sticker shock. Compounding that sticker shock would have further negative consequences for the people of our state, and while the goal at hand is admirable, its long-term impacts could worsen existing pain consumers receive every month when they receive their bills.
Our state’s adoption of electric vehicles has taken on a gradual, methodological approach. We fail to see how changing from that course would be beneficial at a time when people are already experiencing issues. Please delay this vote to a period where Connecticut is more ready to weather it.
Sincerely,
Senate President Pro Tempore Martin Looney 11th Senate District
Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff 25th Senate District
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