URGENT: Siting Council Public Hearing

March 4, 2024


 
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Dear Friends and Neighbors,

There is a critical public hearing happening this week, and I would love for you to testify.

The Energy and Technology Committee will hold a public hearing Thursday, March 7 at 11:30am in Room 1A of the Legislative Office Building and on Zoom on

HB 5359: AN ACT CONCERNING THE COMPOSITION AND EXPERTISE OF THE CONNECTICUT SITING COUNCIL.

The bill as written to date makes a few moderate recommendations to improve the council such as allowing for the council to employ independent consultants with expertise in electric transmission infrastructure and preventing any more than 1 commissioner from having any ties, past or present, to the utilities.
 
While this is a first step toward the improvements necessary for the Siting Council to adequately, effectively, and judiciously rule on the important cases they are tasked with, there are many more reforms and requirements that I plan to speak to and I hope that you will too, such as:
  • sending certified letters for all abutters and adjacent properties with clear communication of the project proposal and whether the property is subject to any taking or easements, with receipt confirmations required from any property owner subject to property-taking or permanent easements,
  • submitting detailed financials including the lifecycle of the infrastructure, maintenance, and frequency of outages for both the proposed project and two alternatives that must be included in the application by the utility, 
  • presenting all adjacent components of a project in one application,
  • explicit needs assessment and barring a project from being classified as a "rebuild" (and therefore sidestepping FERC) if ampacity or capacity is increasing, 
  • requiring reporting to PURA on the TAC line item on consumers' bills, and 
  • forbidding the taking of land or permanent easements in an environmental justice community unless no alternatives exist.
Your support for this legislation is crucial as we try to build better representation on the Siting Council so that the decisions they make regarding our utilities, electric transmission infrastructure, and transmission lines are more reflective of the concerns and the impact they have on residents and ratepayers.

Registration will close on Wednesday, March 6 at 3pm.

To register to testify in person or remotely, click here. To submit written testimony, click here.

If you are not testifying, you can also follow the public hearing on the Energy and Technology Committee’s YouTube Live page.

To assist with testimony, below you can find a photo of a draft sample template of how your testimony can be addressed to the committee.
Of course my office is here to help with any of this process and in the meantime please let us know if you have any questions.
 
I'm committed to ensuring your voice is heard. Please don't hesitate to call my office at (860) 240-8585 or email me if there's anything I can do for you. Be sure to follow @LeeperForFairfield on Facebook and Instagram to stay up-to-date on everything I'm doing at the Capitol.

Sincerely,

Jennifer Leeper
State Representative
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