Hartford, CT)– Attorney General William Tong today praised a final decision by the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority imposing a $29 million civil penalty against Eversource for its failure to meet its obligations to ratepayers in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Isaias.

“Eversource failed its customers and put Connecticut families at risk. Their response to Tropical Storm Isaias was unacceptable, and PURA is right to impose severe penalties. This penalty will be paid rightfully by the company and its shareholders—not ratepayers. Eversource has much work to do to regain our trust, and we will be holding them accountable at every step along the way,” said Attorney General Tong.

Attorney General Tong advocated for the maximum allowed statutory civil penalty against Eversource.  

In his brief to PURA filed on February 5, 2021 addressing Eversource’s Tropical Storm Isaias failures, Attorney General Tong argued that Eversource: 1) was imprudently unprepared to communicate with its customers during the Tropical Storm Isaias emergency; 2) imprudently administered the Make Safe phase of the storm response related to road clearing; and 3) ineffectively implemented its town liaison program during the critical early days of the public safety emergency. PURA correctly concluded that Eversource failed to comply with the applicable performance and prudence standards for each of these fundamental areas of storm preparedness and response.

Attorney General Tong intervened last August on behalf of Connecticut ratepayers in PURA’s investigation into the response by both Eversource and United Illuminating to Tropical Storm Isaias. At the urging of Attorney General Tong, PURA agreed to open a contested case and prudence review—legal proceedings that enable the Attorney General to make the strongest possible claims on behalf of ratepayers and the state, to seek fines, penalties and injunctive relief, and to oppose the utilities’ requests for profits and reimbursement of storm-related costs. PURA has robust authority as the state’s principal regulator and the legal forum to investigate and pursue such claims against state utilities.

This press release was made possible by: