OFFICE OF FISCAL ANALYSIS
Legislative Office Building, Room 5200
Hartford, CT 06106 (860) 240-0200
http://www.cga.ct.gov/ofa
SB-855
AN ACT CONCERNING THE DECOUPLING OF THE PUBLIC
UTILITIES REGULATORY AUTHORITY AND THE DEPARTMENT
OF ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION.
Primary Analyst: AN 3/16/21
Contributing Analyst(s): MR
OFA Fiscal Note
State Impact:
Agency Affected Fund-Effect FY 22 $ FY 23 $
Public Utility Control, Dept. CC&PUCF - Cost None Up to
$750,000
Note: CC&PUCF=Consumer Counsel and Public Utility Control Fund
Municipal Impact: None
Explanation
The bill requires that the Department of Energy and Environmental
Protection (DEEP) develop and implement a plan to decouple from the
Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA), beginning no later than
October 1 and implementing the plan thereafter. There are anticipated
personnel costs related to the hiring of fiscal administration staff as a
result of the separation. Based on the deadlines outlined in the bill, it is
not anticipated that the decoupling of these entities would incur costs
until FY 23.
Currently, DEEP provides fiscal administration services for PURA.
It is anticipated that decoupling from DEEP would require PURA to
hire 5 fiscal-related employees at an annual cost of $746,960 for salary
and fringe benefits.
1
1
The fringe benefit costs for employees funded out of other appropriated funds are budgeted within the
fringe benefit account of those funds, as opposed to the fringe benefit accounts within the Office of the
State Comptroller. The estimated active employee fringe benefit cost associated with most personnel
changes for other appropriated fund employees is 95.57% of payroll in FY 22 and FY 23 2021SB-00855-R000078-FN.DOCX Page 2 of 2
The Out Years
The annualized ongoing fiscal impact identified above would
continue into the future subject to inflation.