Within the past year, I have received two letters from two major Connecticut utility companies: one implied that I was engaging in defamatory speech, and the other admonished me because I called for greater utility accountability during my state senate campaign.
These letters are deeply concerning. Not only do they and the language they use represent a clear attempt to stifle legitimate criticism, they’re also a bald-faced attempt to intimidate an elected official (me) charged with setting energy policy in the state. They also hint at the bareknuckle utility tactics to come in the 2025 legislative session, which begins on January 8.
Unfortunately, Connecticut utility companies are choosing a path of personal intimidation and public disinformation rather than collaboration. I believe that’s a losing approach for both them and for Connecticut consumers.
The energy industry wields immense influence in Connecticut, boasting some of the highest-paid lobbying efforts in the state. Now these same companies are not only poised to flood the halls and offices of the State Capitol with their agendas, they have also opened a new front in their information war: negative media campaigns utilizing op-eds, the Connecticut press corps, and members of the opposing political party who often simply repeat corporate talking points instead of seeking context and perspective. It’s a clear and calculated effort on the part of utility companies to shape public opinion and discredit efforts by people like me (and others) who seek to hold them accountable to state ratepayers.
Why are these utilities now making their case in the news pages? Perhaps it’s because the established process for resolving disagreements with regulatory decisions isn’t working out for them. Members the state Public Utility Regulatory Authority reach their conclusions after holding public hearings and reviewing supporting documentation – often hundreds of pages of it. They reach a decision either unanimously or by majority rule, and if a utility disagrees, it can appeal to the courts – a process utility companies still use quite aggressively.
Unfortunately, since so many Connecticut utilities have lost their appeals at both the Superior Court and Supreme Court levels with rulings that upheld PURA’s decisions, these near-monopolies have shifted their strategy: instead of engaging solely in the regulatory process, they’re now airing their objections in a modern news media that thrives on controversy. That might work for Hollywood divorces and traffic accidents, but it’s a recipe for disaster when it comes to getting a handle on spiraling utility costs.
It’s a given that we all want healthy utilities that deliver reliable services and invest in necessary infrastructure upgrades. But the legislature also has an obligation to ensure that the same utilities that keep us cool in the summer, warm in the winter, and allow us to cook and clean and bathe are also held accountable to ratepayers. The regulatory process was written to prevent excessive corporate greed and to ensure fair pricing for Connecticut residents and businesses.
Yet, despite their recent insinuations that the walls are caving in financially, Connecticut utilities are still seeing record earnings, an 82% increase in the dividend payouts to shareholders over the last 10 years and record salaries for top CEOs.
So it’s no coincidence that Connecticut utility companies are now ramping-up efforts to silence dissent. Meanwhile, Connecticut is approaching a pivotal moment in its transition to a clean energy future while responding to increasingly volatile weather, with billions of dollars in consumer, business, and utility costs on the line. This moment in time in Connecticut offers us immense opportunities to build a sustainable and equitable energy infrastructure, but it also poses significant risks. Without strong oversight, these companies stand to make runaway profits, locking-in financial inequities that could leave ratepayers shouldering unnecessary costs for generations.
These tactics cannot be allowed to succeed. While utility companies claim they want collaboration, their actions of late tell a different story. Threatening lawsuits, waging a media war, and trying to dictate the boundaries of public discourse are not the behaviors of partners seeking mutual solutions. Collaboration requires good faith, transparency, and a willingness to engage constructively – all values that I have consistently upheld in my work.
As we head into the 2025 legislative session, I will not be intimidated, nor will I be silenced. As Senate Chair of the Energy and Technology Committee, my responsibility is to the people of Connecticut who deserve a strong and sustainable energy infrastructure while ensuring that ratepayers aren’t burdened by excessive corporate profits. My commitment to this mission hasn’t wavered, nor has my support for PURA, and any company that’s disappointed by being scrutinized is going to have a tough time adapting to this new reality.
But as a state, and as a people, we literally cannot afford to let a few powerful special interests dictate the terms of our shared energy future. I look forward to the task ahead.
State Sen. Norm Needleman, D-33rd District, is Co-chair of the Connecticut legislature’s Energy & Technology Committee.
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