Right now, the House of Representatives is debating a bill ostensibly to address the problem of rising energy prices. The legislation is House Bill 7432. The real substance of the bill is in House Amendment A on the bill.
I have been working since I was elected to undo the system that has been causing our electric rates to skyrocket.
"Electric deregulation" was approved by the state back in the late 1990s, with promises to lower our electric rates by giving us a choice of who produces our electricity. However, electric deregulation was a failure, and became the tool energy companies, like Enron, used to bilk the entire state of California. In Connecticut, it has caused skyrocketing electric prices. Electric deregulation is an abject failure and is bad for consumers.
Since then, many legislators (especially Reps. Fontana and Nardello) and advocates for consumers and seniors have been working to reform the system and bring back common-sense control on electric prices, like we used to have, when our electric rates were lower.
And our work is the reason that legislators and the Governor are now feeling the pressure to approve energy legislation. But the legislation actually being considered right now fails to address the real problem that has been causing electric rates to rise.
This legislation makes only token efforts to bring lower prices. In fact, in a number of ways, the legislation has the effect of adding to electric rates. For example, the legislation will require that all electric ratepayers pay for the purchase of electric meters that will allow electric companies to charge people higher electric rates at the times of day most people use electricity.
I plan to vote for another amendment that would actually bring electric rates back under control. But, it looks like that amendment will be defeated.
I tried very hard to bring real reform. It is difficult to express how disappointed I am, on behalf of the people I represent, about how this has turned out.
12:37am update after the voting is done:
The real electric reform that would finally help electric consumers was House Amendment C. It was defeated on a 34-114 vote.
The final bill was approved 128-19. If I voted for the bill, I would be able to go out to my constituents and say that I voted for energy legislation. But I would know, in my heart, that it would not be true that this legislation solves the problem - high electric rates - that the people wanted electric reform legislation to get done. So the only right thing I could do was to vote against this poor substitute for real reform of electric pricing.
I have been working since I was elected to undo the system that has been causing our electric rates to skyrocket.
"Electric deregulation" was approved by the state back in the late 1990s, with promises to lower our electric rates by giving us a choice of who produces our electricity. However, electric deregulation was a failure, and became the tool energy companies, like Enron, used to bilk the entire state of California. In Connecticut, it has caused skyrocketing electric prices. Electric deregulation is an abject failure and is bad for consumers.
Since then, many legislators (especially Reps. Fontana and Nardello) and advocates for consumers and seniors have been working to reform the system and bring back common-sense control on electric prices, like we used to have, when our electric rates were lower.
And our work is the reason that legislators and the Governor are now feeling the pressure to approve energy legislation. But the legislation actually being considered right now fails to address the real problem that has been causing electric rates to rise.
This legislation makes only token efforts to bring lower prices. In fact, in a number of ways, the legislation has the effect of adding to electric rates. For example, the legislation will require that all electric ratepayers pay for the purchase of electric meters that will allow electric companies to charge people higher electric rates at the times of day most people use electricity.
I plan to vote for another amendment that would actually bring electric rates back under control. But, it looks like that amendment will be defeated.
I tried very hard to bring real reform. It is difficult to express how disappointed I am, on behalf of the people I represent, about how this has turned out.
12:37am update after the voting is done:
The real electric reform that would finally help electric consumers was House Amendment C. It was defeated on a 34-114 vote.
The final bill was approved 128-19. If I voted for the bill, I would be able to go out to my constituents and say that I voted for energy legislation. But I would know, in my heart, that it would not be true that this legislation solves the problem - high electric rates - that the people wanted electric reform legislation to get done. So the only right thing I could do was to vote against this poor substitute for real reform of electric pricing.
