By Frank Panzarella, Fight the Hike
Senate Bill 1 encompasses Gov. Malloy’s plan to merge the Dept. of Environmental Protection and the Dept. of Public Utility Control. This single agency, Dept. of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP), will oversee issues of the environment and energy.
The goals of DEEP are:
- Reducing utility rates;
- Providing for a reliable and safe energy supply;
- Increasing the use of clean energy in Connecticut; and
- Creating jobs in clean-energy industries.
The Energy and Technology Committee of the Legislature voted S.B. 1 out of committee. It is a comprehensive energy bill that encompasses many suggestions from Fight the Hike.
DEEP, and not the electric companies, will control the Energy Conservation Loan Fund, the Clean Energy Fund and the Energy Efficiency Fund. DEEP will also have responsibility for creating energy reports – the electric companies previously wrote these.
The bill is a positive step to take control away from the electric companies. As corporations, they are accountable to their shareholders. DEEP, as a government body, is accountable to the people of Connecticut. This presents a greater opportunity for accountability, oversight and transparency over the energy industry.
There are specific provisions in the bill for discounted rates, renewable energy projects, more solar development in CT, jobs in clean energy and efficiency programs for lower-income people as well as specific programs to bring renewable energy to distressed communities.
Another important bill for ratepayers is S.B. 1176 which calls for a tax on power plants to produce revenue that will be used to lower rates, eliminate the CTA charge on our bills and balance the state budget. We urge PAR readers to call or e-mail their legislators in support of these bills.
At our last Fight the Hike meeting, it was proposed that we call Sen. Blumenthal, Sen. Lieberman and Rep. DeLauro to demand that all current nuclear power plants be shut down permanently, and that the government bring renewable energy to the fore. “Remind them that the technology is ready, it’s the political will that’s lacking,” said Fight the Hike member Mary Johnson. The suffering in Japan due to the earthquake and tsunami is compounded by the spread of radiation from the damaged nuclear reactors. We need to shut reactors down before there are any more nuclear disasters.
Fight the Hike meets the third Thursday of each month at
7 p.m., NH City Hall, 165 Church St., 2nd floor meeting room 3. Our next meeting will be on April 21. For info call (203) 562-2798 or e-mail paulapanzarella@yahoo.com.
