The Office of Consumer Counsel filed Motions to Intervene in The United Illuminating Company’s (“UI”) administrative appeals to the Superior Court where the company is seeking to overturn the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority’s (“PURA”) recent ruling rejecting the company’s rate increase request of $131 million over current rates and instead approving an increase of $22 million.

“United Illuminating’s appeals have commenced another lengthy process where they will attempt to distort the impact of PURA’s decision and weaken the integrity of Connecticut’s regulatory framework for the benefit of their bottom line,” said Consumer Counsel Coleman. “That’s why my office filed motions to intervene in the Superior Court proceedings on behalf of the customers in their service territory. During the rate case over the course of the last year, my team succeeded in demonstrating major shortcomings in UI’s original rate application, and we are prepared to do it again. Utility customers benefit from a proactive regulatory body that is willing to hold our utilities to applicable legal standards, and OCC will seek to ensure consumer interests are elevated in these appeals.”

Earlier this month, the company filed its appeals of PURA’s Final Decision contesting its core elements, including their allowed revenue requirement and return of equity determinations. OCC is intervening to preserve the Final Decision’s substantial rate benefits to customers, including reductions due to the company’s well-documented performance and management deficiencies, as well as to defend important regulatory principles that are designed to protect consumers.  At the same time, OCC will continue to have constructive dialogue with UI on Connecticut’s transition to a performance-based regulatory framework, which we expect to provide additional guidance on required justifications for capital expenditures and other areas that will improve the regulatory framework for both customers and utilities.