Most people don’t think much about their basic utility services. Electricity, natural gas and water just show up – a testament to the tens of thousands of utility workers across our state and country who keep those services working night and day and regardless of the weather. It’s a hard job, but utility workers are tough.
To keep all these services functioning, utilities must continually invest in the critical infrastructure to ensure those systems work. If you don’t invest in that infrastructure, over time, these systems break down because they are out in the elements, or they simply become old and outdated. Across Connecticut, members of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) are doing this infrastructure maintenance daily to make sure the lights stay on.
As a leader in the labor union which represents thousands of electrical workers in our state, let me assure you this work never stops to ensure reliable service for customers. But Connecticut may soon not be able to adequately invest in our water, gas and electric infrastructure. And without those investments, our state’s energy system will suffer, as will Connecticut’s utility workers.
This is because several utilities in Connecticut recently had their creditworthiness downgraded by rating agencies. Now, when those utilities go to borrow money from lenders so they can invest in maintaining their infrastructure, those borrowing costs will be higher. These utilities may be forced to forgo investments in their infrastructure because they cost too much, or utility customers are going to be forced to pay higher utility bills to compensate for those higher borrowing costs.
These credit downgrades occurred because the state’s utility regulators have created an uncertain environment that has thrown cold water on investment in our state’s energy system. Worse, unless regulators quickly step in to strengthen our utilities, more credit downgrades are on the horizon.
And this problem is only going to grow – quickly. Connecticut has immediate needs for infrastructure investment. In the case of electricity, we are going to need more power as data centers and electric vehicles proliferate. We need a regulatory environment that protects customers and workers while allowing for continuous and long-term investments in the electric grid. These changes will allow us to meet the needs of tomorrow and to enhance the grid to be more resilient to severe weather.
We are already seeing the direct consequences of the actions which have been taken by leaders in Connecticut. Job growth in this critical sector is at risk, as we have seen our union brothers and sisters see more opportunities outside of Connecticut in neighboring states like Massachusetts, New York, and Pennsylvania. IBEW’s members are neighbors, coaches, volunteers, and active members of their communities in Connecticut. They shouldn’t be worried about whether their jobs are safe in the state they call home because of regulatory policies that have made their job security a riskier proposition.
A failure to improve regulatory certainty will continue to have a detrimental impact on Connecticut’s union workers and residents who rely on utility services. We hope immediate action will be taken to address this issue in Hartford to bring certainty back to Connecticut for the benefit of working men and women and Connecticut’s utility customers.
Mike Monahan is the vice president of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), District 2, which covers the New England states.