Holding Eversource and United Illuminating Accountable
May 3, 2023A reliable electric grid is critical to powering our homes and businesses, and quick restoration from outages should be the norm and expected - yet that always hasn't been the case.
Post: In order to add more accountability, the Connecticut Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA) recently voted to use independent consultants to monitor and assess the performance of the state's two electric distribution companies - Eversource and United Illuminating. This will be an important step toward shifting to performance-based regulation for the utility companies.
The framework for this move was created in the wake of Eversource and UI's poor and slow response to power outages caused by Tropical Storm Isaias in 2020. In response, the Connecticut General Assembly passed the "Take Back Our Grid Act," a robust bill that established standards that utility companies must meet, penalties if those standards are not met, and metrics for determining progress.
These changes will help hold the state's utilities more accountable, better protect vulnerable communities and ensure that ratepaying customers are the companies' priority moving forward.
Additionally, PURA also announced that it has extended the utility shutoff moratorium for gas and electric service disconnections for residential customers facing financial hardship through October. This is an important protection that rightfully puts a priority on the health and safety of vulnerable residents.