Sen. Richard Blumenthal is pushing for lower energy prices for Connecticut consumers, urging federal regulators to take action.

As Connecticut has some of the highest electricity costs in the country, Blumenthal is asking the federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to help lower those bills.

Blumenthal is expected to discuss a new bill he’s introduced on Monday that requires FERC to consider affordability when setting transmission rates.

Transmission costs make up about 15% of a typical electric bill, and state officials said those costs have been rising.

Blumenthal’s proposed legislation would prohibit any rate increases or charges that would increase overall electricity prices by more than 5%. The senator also wants FERC to take a closer look at how regional transmission projects are planned and approved.

He’s calling for an independent review to determine whether projects are really necessary and whether the costs are reasonable. He’s specifically pointing to Eversource’s X-178 transmission project in New Hampshire, where energy advocates said transmission lines are being needlessly replaced.

Bluementhal said the goal isn’t to stop necessary investments in the grid, but to make sure Connecticut ratepayers aren’t paying for projects or incentives they don’t need.

This comes after Connecticut state agencies filed a complaint with FERC earlier this year. They’re asking FERC to eliminate a financial incentive paid to Eversource and United Illuminating.
The state says that incentive now costs Connecticut ratepayers about $4.5 million a year.

Officials are expected to discuss the bill around 9:30 a.m. in New Haven.

Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont (D) and Attorney General William Tong (D), are asking for a merger between two power companies to be stopped.

Connecticut is one of the states questioning the merger between NextEra Energy and Dominion Energy, which would come in at a total value of $67 billion.

Virginia, Maryland and other states have pushed back against the merger. Lamont and Tong said the move would mean that all nuclear power for New England would come from one source, which would lead to higher prices for consumers.

“We don’t want to turn over the keys and control over 50% of the electricity generated for Connecticut to one huge conglomerate, cause we know what happens,” Tong said. “Prices go up and they may do deals with data centers, and sell our power to someone else and prices go up even more.”

But Republicans say it could lead to better opportunities for more nuclear power in the state.

“Fifty percent of our power is produced by that company so the monopoly is already there. I think that we will benefit from economies to scale,” State Rep. Vincent Candelora, the House Republican leader, said. “The key is that Connecticut needs to enter into a new power purchase agreement by 2029.”

The merger requires the approval of Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina, as well as several federal agencies.

What began as Connecticut gas companies looking for rate increases, has been turned on its head. Rates for natural gas through Connecticut Natural Gas Corporation (CNG) and Southern Connecticut Gas Company (SCG) are set to decline.

The final decision came from the Public Utilities Regulation Authority (PURA) on Wednesday.

Sweeping changes may be coming to natural gas bills, as PURA decided that the companies were not due for a rate increase, but in fact, a decrease due to over-earning in previous years.

In 2023, CNG proposed a rate increase of more than $6 per month, but after PURA’s decision CNG customers can expect a decrease of just under $9 per month.

For SCG, an increase of more than $13 monthly was proposed. But, the final rates will be dropping by $3 monthly.

“PURA was right from the start to slash these rates,” Attorney General William Tong said. “Connecticut families cannot afford to bankroll padded profits and unsupported and unnecessary expenses. We combed through every line-item in these demands, and we called out page after page of unneeded costs. And don’t forget, CNG was over-collecting millions of dollars from Connecticut families before they had the gall to ask for more. PURA got this one right.”

However, the gas companies do not see it the same way. A spokesperson from Avangrid, CNG and SCG’s parent company, sent News 8 this statement, saying in part,

“We are reviewing PURA’s decision and are disappointed that it does not meaningfully resolve the concerns raised by the superior court, which found clear evidence of prejudice and bias against CNG and SCG and concluded the companies had not received the fair legal process required by law. This final outcome remains largely unchanged from the original decision and leaves critical issues unresolved, despite their significant operational, financial, and customer impacts.”

The decrease comes as many consumers may start using more utilities.

“With the colder months coming, that means prices are increasing. We are also staying home a lot more, which means we are running the heat a lot more, that definitely means increased prices,” New Haven resident Hiknat Haddada said. “Anything helps, especially in an area with a lot of college students on tight budgets. So, anything that can help lower expenses is super appreciated and is great for the community.”

More information on the decision can be here and here.