By Kathy Kennedy
State Rep., R-119
Kathy Kennedy
You know those high electric rates? Well, the one person who leads the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority to set our energy rates just abruptly resigned. Here’s what happened and what you can expect as a Connecticut ratepayer.
The CT Mirror reported on Sept. 19 that a “turbulent era at PURA” just ended, following the resignation of Marissa Gillet, the former chairwoman of PURA. In a resignation letter to Gov. Ned Lamont, Gillet wrote that it was an “honor of her professional life” to lead the regulatory agency, but due to “the escalation of disputes into a cycle of lawsuits and press statements” about her performance, she decided to leave.
The disputes she is referencing directly stem from House Republicans calling for an investigation into Gillet’s alleged perjury only days before her resignation. In a letter to majority leaders, House Republicans demanded answers on the existence of private correspondence between PURA and other staff members, which were initially denied back in February during Gillet’s reappointment hearing.
Sadly, this isn’t the first time Gillet has failed to be transparent. Back in June, she admitted to deleting insider text messages with a state lawmaker, drawing criticism despite the governor’s choice to reappoint her that same month. Now, our state is left with high electric rates, no PURA chairman and a bad reputation. So what’s next for Connecticut?
This is a wake-up call. What happened in PURA is a perfect example of why residents deserve more transparency and accountability, especially when it affects the money in their pocket. As a lawmaker, transparency has always been my priority in representing the interests of my constituents in Milford and Orange, which is why I joined calls for an investigation into these concerns back in June and recently in September.
We have an opportunity right now to expand oversight on PURA and all government agencies so that the people of our state can know what is going on with their tax dollars. If the governor and my colleagues in the General Assembly can come together to put the interests of our residents first, we can successfully appoint a new chair and other committee members who represent real people, not an agenda.
Energy relief can be on the horizon if we do this, but it requires the majority party and people, like you, sharing their voice and staying up to date on these issues. Without your input, we may face more of the same challenges, including little to no energy relief and a lack of transparency. Last session, Senate Bill 4 was a step in the right direction for bringing down costs, but real change comes when we invest in clean energy sources, insert the public benefits charge into our state budget and avoid government overreach by stopping electric vehicle mandates.
As always, please never hesitate to contact me with your questions, ideas and concerns at Kathy.Kennedy@housegop.ct.gov or at 860-240-8700. Don’t forget to follow me on Facebook and to subscribe to my brief email updates at RepKennedy.com.