Fighting to Lower Your Energy Costs and Increase Utility Accountability

April 8, 2025


 
 

My Democratic colleagues and I are working diligently to pass new legislation tackling the burden of outrageous electricity costs. People who live in Connecticut currently pay the second-highest electricity prices in the country, placing an undue financial strain on families, businesses, and communities. Our goal is to implement policies that lower prices and enhance transparency that would benefit all ratepayers.

As Co-Chair of the Government Administration and Elections Committee, I co-authored House Bill 1531 and House Bill 7206, important pieces of legislation aimed at tackling the rising cost of utility bills while ensuring greater accountability for public utilities. I was proud to lead passage of both bills out of Committee. They now move to the House and Senate floors for further consideration.
 
These proposals are designed to:

  • Increase public-utility transparency by making them subject to the Freedom of Information Act for the regulated parts of their business.
  • Reduce monopoly power and consolidation by preventing utility companies from owning both gas and electric utilities.
  • Strengthen oversight to ensure our utilities are acting in the best interest of consumers and not incurring unnecessary costs.
  • Ensuring utility capital projects are properly vetted to ensure they are necessary, the least costly and best alternative, and best serve our future energy needs.

 

These measures give the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority and the Connecticut Siting Council more tools to better regulate utility companies and reduce our energy costs.

Strengthening these regulatory bodies is a crucial step toward protecting consumers from excessive costs and fostering a more fair and sustainable energy system for households and businesses across the state.

Through legislative action and public engagement, we are committed to ensuring a more affordable and equitable energy future for everyone.