Rodgers To CL&P Regulators: Give Towns, State ‘Bite’ Vs ‘Bark’

By John Voket

Appearing in place of First Selectman Pat Llodra, whom travel delays prevented from attending, Selectman Will Rodgers urged utility regulators Wednesday morning in New Britain to empower the state and its municipalities to “bite” companies like Connecticut Light & Power (CL&P) with financial penalties if they fail to respond adequately and rapidly to poststorm restoration efforts.

Mr Rodgers, who put in countless hours in Newtown’s Emergency Operations Center and visiting constituents stranded and cold because of long-term power losses after a rogue snowstorm in late October, said government officials were reduced to “barking” for better and quicker response from utility companies. He said under current the current deregulated status of utilities in the state, officials “have no teeth or bite behind our barking.”

The Newtown selectman’s appeal was delivered along with similar pleas from First Selectmen Bill Brennan of Wilton, Rudy Marconi from Ridgefield, and Natalie Ketchum of Redding to the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURA) as part of the public comments before the agency’s regular meeting at 9:30 November 23.

The four officials also conducted a press conference at the PURA headquarters shortly before the 9:30 am session, and were joined by US Congressman Chris Murphy, whose state headquarters is just a few blocks from the utility commission.

“Put in the negative, we’d like to see CL&P subjected to adverse consequences when it fails the citizenry,” Mr Rodgers read from prepared remarks provided to The Bee before the meeting. “Obviously, the chief stick to wield is a financial one — fines, penalties, and deferral of eligibility for rate hikes, for instance.”

Speaking to The Bee following the press conference, Congressman Murphy said he and Senator Richard Blumenthal plan to help local officials at the federal level by asking regulators to look at mutual aid agreements between utilities that are currently administered by a industry association.

“There is no federal penalty to utilities who sign on to these agreements and then do not abide,” Rep Murphy said.

Mr Rodgers said during the meeting that state PURA commissioners listened intently, and Chairman Kevin DelGobbo told officials he understood they were looking for immediate assistance while longer-term solutions were studied.