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Progressive Action Roundtable: A forum for progressive groups in the Greater New Haven Area where actions and ideas may be publicized so that others are aware of peace, health, justice, energy, environmental and other issues for the common good.

Archive for category Fight the Hike

We Got The Legislature, Governor And Electric Company Blues

Aug 31

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by Paula Panzarella, Fight the Hike

Last session, the Legislature voted in favor of a bill that would have helped lower electric rates, promote renewable energy and call for corporate accountability of the electric companies. This was path-breaking legislation that Fight the Hike supporters throughout the state helped get passed. However, the Governor vetoed it, and there was no attempt to override the veto.

And now, we are in a worse situation. In order to balance the budget, a special tax will be added to the electric bills that will go to the state, unless we fight it. The Department of Public Utility Control (DPUC) has to hear from us!

The Competitive Transition Assessment (CTA) charge is scheduled to end in Dec. 2010 for CL&P customers and Dec. 2013 for UI customers. The budget that was approved will keep CTA charges on and the money will go to the state.

Excerpts from Office of Consumer Counsel’s statement:

The legislature is balancing the state budget for this fiscal year (July 2010 – June 2011) by adding a special charge to most electric bills across the state. CL&P and UI will be required to put this charge on customer bills for the next several years, even though it has nothing whatever to do with the electric services these companies provide. This new charge is nothing more than a state budget tax.

The new charge continues an electric bill item called the “CTA”, which otherwise would have expired soon. Instead of granting CL&P and UI customers at least some of the rate relief which has been expected, the legislature is helping keep rates high for these customers.

Fight the Hike is calling on everyone to oppose this new tax on ratepayers. Contact the DPUC and let them know they should NOT allow this to be imposed on our utility bill. When you contact them, please refer to DPUC Docket No. 10-06-20.

Public hearings are scheduled for:

  • Sept. 7, 7 p.m., Hearing Room G-2 in the Mitchell Hall of Records, 200 Orange St., New Haven
  • Sept. 14, 7 p.m., the Brass City Room, 2nd Floor, in the Sovereign Bank, 24 Leavenworth St., Waterbury.

You can also call the DPUC at 1-800-382-4586, e-mail: dpuc.executivesecretary@po.state.ct.us,  or write:

State of CT Department of Public Utility Control
10 Franklin Square
New Britain, CT  06051

For information about Fight the Hike, call (203) 562-2798 or e-mail paulapanzarella@yahoo.com.

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Fight The Hike: Gov Vetoes Energy Bill, U.I. To Buy 3 Gas Companies

Jun 1

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by Paula Panzarella

On May 25, the same day that United Illuminating announced it intends to buy three gas companies for $885 million, Gov. Rell vetoed S.B. 493, the energy legislation that would have helped lower electric rates, promote renewable energy and call for corporate accountability of the electric companies.

It’s imperative that the politicians call for a special session and override Gov. Rell’s veto. Please call your representative and senator (see page 3). If you don’t know who they are, go to http://votesmart.org and enter in your zip code on the upper left portion of the screen.

Find out how they voted on S.B. 493 here: http://tiny.cc/046qr and here: http://tiny.cc/e9tn9. Thank them if they voted in favor, and demand they work to override the veto. If they didn’t vote for the bill, tell them you expect them to do right by Connecticut consumers and businesses and vote now for an override. Remind them that the Energy and Technology Committee worked on the legislation since mid-March, and held public hearings on the issues presented in S.B. 493 (at that time, the bills were named H.R. 5505, H.R. 5507, H.R. 5508, and S.B. 463).

Tell Gov. Rell that by vetoing S.B. 493 she betrayed the people and the businesses of Connecticut. Her phone number is 1-800-406-1527. Her e-mail is Governor.Rell@ct.gov.

United Illuminating has shown itself to be a dishonorable corporation, and its acquisition and control of gas companies will further impoverish Connecticut residents and businesses. Honest antitrust legislation should deny their request, but that may be determined by how much people are willing to take on this struggle. Fight the Hike’s next meeting is Thursday, June 17. For details, call (203) 562-2798.

Fight The Hike Update

Mar 31

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by Frank Panzarella

Fight the Hike has been working on energy reform issues for 4 years now and our work has included developing bills as well as grassroots education campaigns to develop public opinion and understanding of the issues facing Connecticut.

There are a number of energy bills worth supporting. Our focus is on HR 5505, a bill that would create a Connecticut electric authority, which would enable the state to create new energy generation under state auspices, end-run the current buying process and buy directly from generators, and promote renewables, among other important pieces.

H.B. No. 5505, An Act Concerning Electric Rate Relief, would mandate the creation of a discount electric and natural gas rate for low-income customers to help struggling families keep up with their bills.

It would also create a new agency, a power authority called the Connecticut Electric Authority that would be tasked with ensuring that Connecticut’s electric rates go down. It would have the power to create new generation under state auspices and be able to bond monies for this purpose.

In addition, this bill would ensure that Connecticut has reliable electric service, including contracting with new power plants or existing power plants.

The Connecticut Electric Authority would be the agency responsible for making sure that State buildings are leading the way in adopting new technologies

This bill would also create a windfall profits tax to tax generation companies that take advantage of the efficiencies and poor design of the regional energy market. The proceeds of the tax would go directly back to ratepayers, with the goal that we will finally stop having the highest rates in the Continental United States.

Other bills that Fight the Hike would like passed are: H.B. No. 5507, An Act Concerning Consumer Protections In The Retail Electricity Market; H.B. No. 5508, An Act Establishing The Division Of Electricity Policy And Procurement; and H.B. No. 5362, An Act Concerning Renewable Energy.

The next Fight the Hike meeting is Thursday, April 15 at 6 p.m., New Haven City Hall, 165 Church St., 2nd floor. For more information, call (203) 562-2798 or e-mail paulapanzarelle@yahoo.com.

Fight the Hike

Mar 4

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By Paula Panzarella

One thousand leaflets were distributed in Hartford during January, about the need for energy reform and the necessity of Hartford residents to contact their state senator John Fonfara. Sen. Fonfara was personally responsible for no energy legislation being passed in the 2009 session. As senate chair of the energy and technology committee, he blocked the energy bills from being reviewed by the Senate. We don’t want a repeat of that this year!

The residents and businesses of CT are still paying the highest electrical rates in the continental US.  Fight the Hike will continue to demand that our state senators and representatives help get electricity prices under control, promote clean sustainable energy, and work towards undoing the damage of electricity deregulation. As of this writing, the details of proposed 2010 energy legislation are not available.

The next meeting of Fight the Hike will be Thursday, March 18, 6 p.m., at New Haven City Hall, 165 Church St., 2nd floor. For more information, call (203) 562-2798 or e-mail paulapanzarella@yahoo.com.

Fight the Hike Update

Jan 30

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By Paula Panzarella, Fight the Hike

On Jan. 9, Fight the Hike members handed out 500 leaflets door-to-door in Sen. John Fonfara’s district about the need for electricity legislation in the 2010 legislative session. Last year, Sen. Fonfara blocked the energy bills from being reviewed by the Senate, after the representatives in the House passed the bills by a large majority.

Fight the Hike will again leaflet in Hartford on Saturday, Jan. 30. We will leave New Haven at 11 a.m., and be back by 3 p.m. If you wish to join us and carpool, please call (203) 562-2798 for more information.

In February and March we will leaflet in the districts of Sen. Don Williams, Senate president pro tempore, and Sen. Martin Looney, Senate majority leader.

The residents and businesses of CT are still paying the highest electrical rates in the continental US, and the legislature owes it to CT residents and businesses to undo the damage of electricity deregulation.

The next meeting of Fight the Hike will be Thursday,
Feb. 18, 6 p.m., at New Haven City Hall, 165 Church St., 2nd floor. For more information, call (203) 562-2798 or
e-mail paulapanzarella@yahoo.com.