Month: October 2021

PURA APPROVAL OF EVERSOURCE ACCOUNTABILITY PLAN

Governor Ned Lamont and Attorney General William Tong today are applauding approval by the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA) of the $103.4 million Eversource accountability plan they announced earlier this month. The agreement will increase local accountability and control, and return $103.4 million back to Connecticut families following significant deficiencies in the utility’s response to Tropical Storm Isaias. The agreement also stabilizes electric distribution rates until at least January 2024.

“I applaud PURA for approving this settlement, which puts money back into ratepayers’ pockets and provides new and necessary accountability for Eversource,” Governor Lamont said. “This progress happened as a result of a significant storm that impacted hundreds of thousands of residents, and then this settlement was reached after more than a year of a thorough process that involved hearing from ratepayers, elected officials, and the publicly regulated utility. The end result is immediate savings for consumers on their upcoming energy bills, and a level of accountability which shows our residents that a company providing power in our state must answer to those within our borders. This clears the way for PURA to make real progress on performance-based ratemaking, which I have championed since the aftermath of Tropical Storm Isaias. The settlement also provides certainty to Eversource customers about the remedies they will receive as a result of Eversource’s poor performance in response to Tropical Storm Isaias by disposing of legal claims related to the storm penalty decisions.”

“This agreement forces significant governance changes at Eversource and directs $103.4 million back to Connecticut families following serious failures in the company’s response to Tropical Storm Isaias,” Attorney General Tong said. “I thank PURA for their thorough and diligent review of this agreement, and for their sustained efforts to hold Eversource accountable. I will work closely with PURA as this agreement is implemented to ensure every term is honored and that Connecticut families see the safe and reliable service they are owed. Although this settlement is concluded, my work is not done. I will continue to aggressively monitor Eversource’s performance and will hold them accountable whenever and wherever necessary.”

The agreement directs $65 million in Eversource funds to be immediately returned to customers in the form of two credits on their December and January bills. The average customer will see a $35 total credit. Eversource further has agreed not to appeal a $28.4 million penalty levied by PURA due to the inadequate response to Isaias. Ratepayers are currently seeing this as a credit on their bills under “TS Isaias Performance Penalty.” Eversource has agreed not to apply for a rate increase until at least January 2023 for rates that could not take place until at least January 2024. The settlement ensures this significant ratepayer relief now and avoids years of potential legal challenges.

The remaining $10 million will be used to assist customers who are having difficulty paying their utility bills. All customers are currently eligible to participate in a 24-month payment plan – without fees or interest – to pay down any arrearage they have and to avoid any service disconnection. Residents are encouraged to contact Eversource at 800-286-2828 or visit www.eversource.com/billhelp to access assistance.

The agreement will require Eversource to create a new Connecticut-based president of Connecticut Light & Power to improve local accountability and control and to add new seats to its governance board for representatives from Connecticut. Eversource will also commit to continuing and enhancing its Connecticut-based training and apprenticeship programs to ensure statewide access to line worker career opportunities and adequate staffing of line workers in Connecticut.

The agreement between Eversource, the Office of the Attorney General, the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, and the Office of Consumer Counsel settles Phase IIa (Interim Rate Decrease) of PURA Docket No. 17-12-03RE11 and the implementation of a storm penalty imposed by PURA following Tropical Storm Isaias.

This press release was sponsored by:

Stratford News: Sunday Afternoon Talks Concludes

The Stratford Library concludes its 2021 season of “Sunday Afternoon Talks” series of informative and entertaining talks featuring prominent local guest speakers “The Secret of Becoming a Great Communicator” with Jim Cameron on Sunday, November 7. The talk, presented on the Zoom format, is also a hybrid event that allows visitors to attend and watch in the Library’s Lovell Room.  It is free and open to the public.

 Long-time commuter advocate and newspaper commentator Jim Cameron will offer a lively presentation and Q&A about the art of communication.  Cameron will share some funny and insightful tales about his 40 years as a news reporter, media trainer and public relations consultant. He will also reveal the inside scoop on how to “Master the Interview” with his best public relations tricks.

 A former NBC News anchor, Jim Cameron is a recipient of the George Foster Peabody Award. A Connecticut resident for over 25 years, he served on the Metro-North Commuter Council and authors a weekly newspaper column, “Getting There” which runs in the Hearst daily and weekly newspapers including the Greenwich Time. An archive of 12 years of his commentaries can be found on his blog, “GettingThereCT” He is also author of his first book “Off the Record: Confessions of a Media Consultant”.

The “Sunday Afternoon Talks” series, hosted by Charles Lautier of Stratford, is held from 2-3:30 pm on the Zoom platform.  To register online and receive a Zoom invitation for the November 7th program visit: https://stratfordlibrary.libcal.com/event/7555042.

For further information call the Stratford Library at: 203.385-4162 or visit: www.stratfordlibrary.org

This press release was sponsored by:

Fairfield Commission on disAbilities

 #Fairfield CT–Applications are currently being accepted for volunteers to join the newly established Fairfield Commission on disAbilities, a group intended to promote the inclusion and integration of differently abled people in community activities, services, and employment opportunities. The mission of the Commission is to ensure that Fairfield is a welcoming community where people with disabilities can lead inclusive and fulfilling lives, contributing as active members of our town. If you are a self-advocate; caregiver; parents/family member; professional serving the disability community and other residents and would like to educate and advocate for people with disabilities in Fairfield, we need you.

     Commission goals include creating a forum for community members to:

· Increase awareness about issues and opportunities affecting people with disabilities

· Advise town officials on policies, procedures, programs and services (including facilities)

· Provide information and guidance to individuals, businesses and organizations on matters related to disabilities

· Foster and promote a community dialogue with businesses, community organizations, clubs and associations

· Engage people with disabilities and their families, encouraging them to participate in town government and planning.

     Visit the Fairfield Commission on disAbilities page to learn more: https://www.fairfieldct.org/commissiondisabilities, or, to apply, please visit the town of Fairfield’s Appointment Process page: https://fairfieldct.org/appointmentprocess.

This press release was made possible by:

https://www.bmwofbridgeport.com/new-vehicles/

Milford News: Fight At The Mayflower

#Milford CT—On October 25, 2021, Milford Police responded to the Mayflower Motel, 219 Woodmont Road, on the report of a fight. Investigation led to the arrest of both Andrew and Austin Spears who are accused of getting into a physical altercation with each other after a verbal argument.

This press release was made possible by:

Stratford News: Fight At Bunnell High

Stratford Police Press Release

#Stratford CT– At approximately 07:30 am a fight broke out at Bunnell High School. The fight involved numerous students (appx 10) and faculty/staff intervened in an attempt to break up the fight. Several Stratford officers and the School Resource officer responded to the disturbance and took control of the scene and school.


The school was placed in a temporary lockdown to ensure no students were injured. The lockdown has
since been lifted.
At this time two students (juveniles) are in custody and the investigation is ongoing.

This press release was made possible by:

BLUMENTHAL STATEMENT ON THE FACEBOOK PAPERS

U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) issued the following release in response to a series of recently published stories known as The Facebook Papers:


“These damning documents underscore that Facebook leadership chronically ignored serious internal alarms, choosing to put profits over people. Facebook is obviously unable to police itself as its powerful algorithms drive deeply harmful content to children and fuel hate. These disclosures demand the full release of the company’s research on the harms to teens and even to our democracy. This resoundingly adds to the drumbeat of calls for reform, rules to protect teens, and real transparency and accountability from Facebook and its Big Tech peers.”

As Chair of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Product Safety, and Data Security, Blumenthal has spearheaded a series of hearings to inform legislation and prompt action by social media companies to address harms and dangers faced by children online, including recent hearings with Facebook Head of Global Safety Antigone Davis and Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen. On Tuesday, October 26 at 10:00 AM ET, Blumenthal will chair the fourth in this series of hearings, with tech companies Snapchat, TikTok, and YouTube.

This press release was made possible by:

https://www.bmwofbridgeport.com/
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