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General Assembly Raised Bill No. 1193
January Session, 2025
LCO No. 2482
Referred to Committee on ENERGY AND TECHNOLOGY
Introduced by:
(ET)
AN ACT CONCERNING THE COMPOSITION OF THE PUBLIC
UTILITIES REGULATORY AUTHORITY.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:
Section 1. Section 16-2 of the general statutes is repealed and the 1
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2025): 2
(a) There shall continue to be a Public Utilities Regulatory Authority 3
within the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, which 4
shall consist of [five electors of this state,] three utility commissioners, 5
each of whom shall be an elector of the state and appointed by the 6
Governor with the advice and consent of both houses of the General 7
Assembly. Not more than [three members] two utility commissioners of 8
said authority in office at any one time shall be members of any one 9
political party. [The Governor shall appoint five members to the 10
authority.] The procedure prescribed in section 4-7 shall apply to such 11
appointments, except that the Governor shall submit each nomination 12
on or before May first, and both houses shall confirm or reject it before 13
adjournment sine die. Any utility commissioner appointed by the 14
Governor and confirmed by both chambers of the General Assembly 15
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between February 1, 2019, and June 1, 2019, shall serve a term expiring 16
on March 1, 2024. [Any utility commissioner appointed by the Governor 17
and confirmed by both houses of the General Assembly between 18
February 1, 2018, and June 1, 2018, shall serve a term expiring on March 19
1, 2022. Between July 1, 2019, and May 1, 2020, the Governor shall 20
appoint three utility commissioners, provided one such commissioner 21
shall serve a term expiring on March 1, 2021, and two such 22
commissioners shall serve terms expiring on March 1, 2023.] Any utility 23
commissioner appointed on or after May 1, 2020, shall serve a term of 24
four years. The utility commissioners shall be sworn to the faithful 25
performance of their duties. 26
(b) [Not later than June 30, 2023, and between] Between June first and 27
June thirtieth in each odd-numbered year, [thereafter,] the Governor 28
shall select the chairperson of the authority from among the utility 29
commissioners. The chairperson shall serve a two-year term starting on 30
July first of the same year. Each June, the utility commissioners shall 31
choose, from among said commissioners, a vice-chairperson, who shall 32
serve for a one-year term starting on July first of the same year. The vice-33
chairperson shall perform the duties of the chairperson in his or her 34
absence. 35
(c) Any matter coming before the authority may be assigned by the 36
chairperson to [a panel of three] one or more utility commissioners. 37
Except as otherwise provided by statute or regulation, [the panel] any 38
such utility commissioner shall determine whether a public hearing 39
shall be held on the matter, and may designate one or [more of its 40
members] two utility commissioners to conduct such hearing or may 41
assign a hearing officer to ascertain the facts and report thereon to the 42
[panel] designated commissioner or commissioners. The decision of [the 43
panel] any such designated utility commissioner or commissioners, as 44
applicable, if unanimous, shall be the decision of the authority. If the 45
decision [of the panel] is not unanimous, the matter shall be approved 46
by a majority vote of all of the utility commissioners. 47
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(d) The utility commissioners of the Public Utilities Regulatory 48
Authority shall serve full time and shall file a statement of financial 49
interests with the Office of State Ethics in accordance with section 1-83. 50
Each utility commissioner shall receive annually a salary equal to that 51
established for management pay plan salary group seventy-five by the 52
Commissioner of Administrative Services, except that the chairperson 53
shall receive annually a salary equal to that established for management 54
pay plan salary group seventy-seven. 55
(e) To insure the highest standard of public utility regulation, on and 56
after October 1, 2007, any newly appointed utility commissioner of the 57
authority shall have education or training and three or more years of 58
experience in one or more of the following fields: Economics, 59
engineering, law, accounting, finance, utility regulation, public or 60
government administration, consumer advocacy, business 61
management, and environmental management. On and after July 1, 62
1997, at least three of these fields shall be represented on the authority 63
by individual utility commissioners at all times. Any time a utility 64
commissioner is newly appointed, at least one of the utility 65
commissioners shall have experience in utility customer advocacy. 66
(f) (1) The chairperson of the authority, with the approval of the 67
Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection, shall prescribe 68
the duties of the staff assigned to the authority in order to (A) conduct 69
comprehensive planning with respect to the functions of the authority; 70
(B) cause the administrative organization of the authority to be 71
examined with a view to promoting economy and efficiency; and (C) 72
organize the authority into such divisions, bureaus or other units as 73
necessary for the efficient conduct of the business of the authority and 74
may from time to time make recommendations to the Commissioner of 75
Energy and Environmental Protection regarding staff and resources. 76
(2) The chairperson of the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority, in 77
order to implement the comprehensive planning and organizational 78
structure established pursuant to subdivision (1) of this subsection, shall 79
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(A) coordinate the activities of the authority and prescribe the duties of 80
the staff assigned to the authority; (B) for any proceeding on a proposed 81
rate amendment in which staff of the authority are to be made a party 82
pursuant to section 16-19j, determine which staff shall appear and 83
participate in the proceedings and which shall serve the [members of 84
the authority] utility commissioners; (C) enter into such contractual 85
agreements, in accordance with established procedures, as may be 86
necessary for the discharge of the authority's duties; (D) subject to the 87
provisions of section 4-32, and unless otherwise provided by law, 88
receive any money, revenue or services from the federal government, 89
corporations, associations or individuals, including payments from the 90
sale of printed matter or any other material or services; and (E) require 91
the staff of the authority to have expertise in public utility engineering 92
and accounting, finance, economics, computers and rate design. 93
(g) No utility commissioner of the Public Utilities Regulatory 94
Authority or employee of the Department of Energy and Environmental 95
Protection assigned to work with the authority shall have any interest, 96
financial or otherwise, direct or indirect, or engage in any business, 97
employment, transaction or professional activity, or incur any 98
obligation of any nature, which is in substantial conflict with the proper 99
discharge of his or her duties or employment in the public interest and 100
of his or her responsibilities as prescribed in the laws of this state, as 101
defined in section 1-85, concerning any matter within the jurisdiction of 102
the authority; provided, no such substantial conflict shall be deemed to 103
exist solely by virtue of the fact that a utility commissioner of the 104
authority or employee of the department assigned to work with the 105
authority, or any business in which such a person has an interest, 106
receives utility service from one or more Connecticut utilities under the 107
normal rates and conditions of service. 108
(h) No utility commissioner of the Public Utilities Regulatory 109
Authority or employee of the Department of Energy and Environmental 110
Protection assigned to work with the authority, during such assignment, 111
shall accept other employment which will either impair his or her 112
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independence of judgment as to his or her official duties or employment 113
or require him or her, or induce him or her, to disclose confidential 114
information acquired by him or her in the course of and by reason of his 115
or her official duties. 116
(i) No utility commissioner of the Public Utilities Regulatory 117
Authority or employee of the Department of Energy and Environmental 118
Protection assigned to work with the authority, during such assignment, 119
shall wilfully and knowingly disclose, for pecuniary gain, to any other 120
person, confidential information acquired by him or her in the course of 121
and by reason of his or her official duties or employment or use any such 122
information for the purpose of pecuniary gain. 123
(j) No utility commissioner of the Public Utilities Regulatory 124
Authority or employee of the Department of Energy and Environmental 125
Protection assigned to work with the authority, during such assignment, 126
shall agree to accept, or be in partnership or association with any person, 127
or a member of a professional corporation or in membership with any 128
union or professional association which partnership, association, 129
professional corporation, union or professional association agrees to 130
accept any employment, fee or other thing of value, or portion thereof, 131
in consideration of his or her appearing, agreeing to appear, or taking 132
any other action on behalf of another person before the authority, the 133
Connecticut Siting Council, the Office of Policy and Management or the 134
Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection. 135
(k) No utility commissioner of the Public Utilities Regulatory 136
Authority shall, for a period of one year following the termination of his 137
or her service as a utility commissioner, accept employment: (1) By a 138
public service company or by any person, firm or corporation engaged 139
in lobbying activities with regard to governmental regulation of public 140
service companies; (2) by a certified telecommunications provider or by 141
any person, firm or corporation engaged in lobbying activities with 142
regard to governmental regulation of persons, firms or corporations so 143
certified; or (3) by an electric supplier or by any person, firm or 144
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corporation engaged in lobbying activities with regard to governmental 145
regulation of electric suppliers. No such utility commissioner who is 146
also an attorney shall in any capacity, appear or participate in any 147
matter, or accept any compensation regarding a matter, before the 148
authority, for a period of one year following the termination of his or 149
her service as a utility commissioner. 150
(l) The chairperson of the authority shall assign authority staff to 151
fulfill the duties of procurement manager where required pursuant to 152
this title and title 16a. 153
(m) Notwithstanding any provision of the general statutes, the 154
decisions of the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority, including, but not 155
limited to, decisions relating to rate amendments arising from the 156
Comprehensive Energy Strategy, the Integrated Resources Plan, the 157
Conservation and Load Management Plan and policies established by 158
the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, shall be 159
guided by said strategy and plans and such policies. 160
(n) Two or more utility commissioners [serving on a panel 161
established] assigned a matter pursuant to subsection (c) of this section 162
may confer or communicate regarding the matter before such [panel] 163
commissioners. Any such conference or communication that does not 164
occur before the public at a hearing or proceeding shall not constitute a 165
meeting as defined in section 1-200. 166
Sec. 2. Section 16-6 of the general statutes is repealed and the 167
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2025): 168
The Public Utilities Regulatory Authority shall keep [its] the 169
authority's office open during [the usual] normal business hours and 170
shall keep all of [its] the authority's records in such office. The authority 171
shall keep a record of all communications addressed to [it, or to any of 172
its members or employees, officially,] the authority, the utility 173
commissioners and any employee of the authority acting in such 174
employee's official capacity, of all [its and their] the official acts and 175
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proceedings of the authority, the utility commissioners and any 176
employee of the authority and of all facts learned in relation to any 177
casualty or accident, with the names of the persons from whom such 178
facts were obtained or by whom they may be proved.179
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
sections:
Section 1 October 1, 2025 16-2
Sec. 2 October 1, 2025 16-6
Statement of Purpose:
To reduce the maximum number of members of the Public Utilities
Regulatory Authority from five to three.
[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline, except
that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not
underlined.]