Free Daily Headlines :

  • COVID-19
  • Vaccine Info
  • Money
  • Politics
  • Education
  • Health
  • Justice
  • More
    • Environment
    • Economic Development
    • Gaming
    • Investigations
    • Social Services
    • TRANSPORTATION
  • Opinion
    • CT Viewpoints
    • CT Artpoints
DONATE
Reflecting Connecticut’s Reality.
    COVID-19
    Vaccine Info
    Money
    Politics
    Education
    Health
    Justice
    More
    Environment
    Economic Development
    Gaming
    Investigations
    Social Services
    TRANSPORTATION
    Opinion
    CT Viewpoints
    CT Artpoints

LET�S GET SOCIAL

Show your love for great stories and out standing journalism

FERC grants state’s request for hearing on ISO-New England budget increase

  • by Staff Report
  • January 3, 2013
  • View as "Clean Read" "Exit Clean Read"

Press release from offices of Connecticut Attorney General George Jepsen, Consumer Counsel Elin Swanson, the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority and the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection:

HARTFORD – The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has agreed to a state request to hold an unprecedented hearing on the proposed budget increase for ISO New England Inc. (ISO-NE), which operates New England’s regional transmission grid and electricity markets.

Attorney General George Jepsen, Consumer Counsel Elin Swanson Katz and the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA), led by Chairman Arthur H. House, filed a protest in November against the nearly 10 percent budget increase and requested a hearing before the federal regulators.  In a decision issued Monday, FERC ordered a public hearing to be held to review the justness and reasonableness of the budget because more information was needed to make that determination.

“At issue in this proceeding is whether the ISO-NE’s budget request is just and reasonable. Frankly, based on the information and the record and the comments of the various parties, it is hard to tell whether sufficient information in some areas has been provided to allow an informed and reasoned decision,” two FERC commissioners wrote, concurring in the decision. “When material issues of fact exist, such as here, the Commission will institute such settlement and hearing procedures as a matter of course to better explore, understand and resolve the contested issues.”

However, the FERC commissioners cautioned that while ISO-NE must be transparent and held accountable for its budget, “we are also mindful that an increase in one’s budget, even a substantial increase is not per se unreasonable if conditions warrant an increase.”

Arthur House, PURA Chairman, said “FERC’s decision granting a hearing on this matter is a welcome first step toward giving us a meaningful role in the ISO-New England budget process and the opportunity to bring fiscal discipline and cost control to it.”

“The budgets of the six New England public utility regulatory authorities are subject to careful review and scrutiny – and there is no reason the same should not be true of ISO’s budget,” House said.

Currently, no New England public utility commission has any formal oversight role regarding ISO-NE’s budget, even though ISO-NE is funded by New England ratepayers. The Connecticut agencies, who were joined in their petition to FERC by state agencies from Maine, New Hampshire and Rhode Island, also asked FERC to require ISO-NE to file its budget with New England state utility commissions 60 days prior to filing with FERC.

While FERC rejected the states’ proposed reforms to ISO-NE’s budget-making process as beyond the scope of the budget hearing, the regulators said that ISO-NE has committed to scheduling a meeting with all interested state agencies on the budgets at least 60 days in advance of its annual budget filings and to include the state feedback as part of its future budget filings.

The FERC is expected to schedule proceedings shortly. While these proceedings are pending, FERC has allowed the budget increases to take effect on Jan. 1, subject to refund if the increases are found to be unreasonable. The FERC also asked the parties to meet with a settlement judge to try to resolve their differences prior to hearing.

Attorney General Jepsen said, “It is important that the states have won this opportunity for meaningful review of the ISO-NE budget. ISO-NE must prove that its request is just and reasonable. The growth of ISO-NE’s budget over the past decade has been extraordinary and cannot be sustained. Electric customers in Connecticut and across New England deserve this scrutiny and the right to be heard.”

Consumer Counsel Katz said, “ISO-NE needs to do a much better job explaining its proposed $14 million budget increase, particularly in light of staff and salary increases which appear to be excessive. We must keep in mind that ISO-NE’s budget is ultimately borne by the ratepayers of New England, and we are all accountable to them to ensure that costs are contained and rates are fair and reasonable.”

ISO-NE’s budget has increased 34 percent over the past four years to approximately $165 million this year. The number of full-time employees also has increased from 180 in 1997 to 563 proposed for 2013.  If approved, ISO-NE will have added 100 full-time positions just in the past five years.  ISO-NE already employs 40 percent more employees than all of the public utility commissions in New England combined, Katz said.

Review of the budget shows that more than 80 percent of ISO-NE’s budget goes to staff and outside professional services. In 2012, 275 of the 524 ISO-NE’s employees were paid more than $100,000 annually as base pay, and they received average yearly pay increases of 3 percent for each of the past 7 years. Employees last year received an average yearly merit bonus of 9 percent per employee.

Sign up for CT Mirror's free daily news summary.

Free to Read. Not Free to Produce.

The Connecticut Mirror is a nonprofit newsroom. 90% of our revenue comes from people like you. If you value our reporting please consider making a donation. You'll enjoy reading CT Mirror even more knowing you helped make it happen.

YES, I'LL DONATE TODAY

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Staff Report

SEE WHAT READERS SAID

RELATED STORIES
Black and Hispanic residents continue to be vaccinated against COVID at lower rates than white residents
by Kasturi Pananjady and Jenna Carlesso

Among those 65 and older, the rate of vaccination for white residents was 39%, compared to 21% for Black residents.

As mass vaccination centers take the lead in the COVID race, the push is on to reach the most vulnerable
by Dave Altimari

While mass vaccination sites have helped overall vaccination rates, they have not reached the state's most vulnerable populations.

Governor says frustrations with vaccine rollout should be with CDC guidelines
by Adria Watson

Lamont also said 30,000 doses of new J&J vaccine could arrive next week

Disability Rights CT files federal complaint over age-based vaccine rollout
by Kelan Lyons

The complaint alleges the state's age-based vaccine distribution plan discriminates against people with disabilities.

People with disabilities were next in line for COVID vaccine. Then the plan changed.
by Kelan Lyons

Younger people with chronic medical conditions feel left behind by the governor's new vaccine plan, which prioritizes by age.

Support Our Work

Show your love for great stories and outstanding journalism.

$
Select One
  • Monthly
  • Yearly
  • Once
Artpoint painter
CT ViewpointsCT Artpoints
Opinion The historical basis of zoning begs for reform
by Lawrence Rizzolo

Discussions of race are fraught with emotion. Witness the zoning reforms being discussed in our legislature. I will attempt to advance a dispassionate argument that is based on government-sponsored racism that occurred during my lifetime and led to the structural problems that persist today.

Opinion Lamont must stop waffling on the Killingly power plant issue
by Tennyson Benedict

On January 19, Gov. Ned Lamont gave his bluntest comments yet regarding the controversial Killingly natural gas plant, saying, “I don’t want to build Killingly.”  Yet, Lamont still refuses to wield his executive authority to actually stop its construction, and instead offers vague suggestions that market forces will stop the plant’s construction.

Opinion Religious freedom is less than righteousness
by Spencer Hill

The CT Viewpoints opinion “Religious freedom is more than religion” shows just how entrenched is the sincerely held belief that one man’s notion of “freedom” dictates the liberty of others.

Opinion To boost economy, state should invest in the ‘last mile’ of broadband connectivity
by Thomas J. Peters, Ph.D

In his budget address on February 10,   Gov. Ned Lamont announced his intent to expand broadband connectivity in Connecticut, an effort to be lauded. Connecticut enjoys a significant competitive advantage for economic development in the Connecticut Education Network (CEN), “ a 2,500 route mile, all optical, high-performance internet network.”

Artwork Grand guidance
by Anne:Gogh

In a world of systemic oppression aimed towards those of darker skintones – representation matters. We are more than our equity elusive environments, more than numbers in a prison and much more than victims of societal dispositions. This piece depicts a melanated young man draped in a cape ascending high above multiple forms of oppression. […]

Artwork Shea
by Anthony Valentine

Shea is a story about race and social inequalities that plague America. It is a narrative that prompts the question, “Do you know what it’s like to wake up in new skin?”

Artwork The Declaration of Human Rights
by Andres Chaparro

Through my artwork I strive to create an example of ideas that reflect my desire to raise social consciousness, and cultural awareness. Jazz music is the catalyst to all my work, and plays a major influence in each piece of work.”

Artwork ‘A thing of beauty. Destroy it forever’
by Richard DiCarlo | Derby

During times like these it’s often fun to revisit something familiar and approach things with a different slant. I have been taking some Pop culture and Art masterpieces and applying the vintage 1960’s and 70’s classic figures (Fisher Price, little people) to the make an amusing pieces. Here is my homage to Fisher -Price, Yellow […]

Twitter Feed
A Twitter List by CTMirror

Engage

  • Reflections Tickets & Sponsorships
  • Events
  • Donate
  • Newsletter Sign-Up
  • Submit to Viewpoints
  • Submit to ArtPoints
  • Economic Indicator Dashboard
  • Speaking Engagements
  • Commenting Guidelines
  • Legal Notices
  • Contact Us

About

  • About CT Mirror
  • Announcements
  • Board
  • Staff
  • Sponsors and Funders
  • Donors
  • Friends of CT Mirror
  • History
  • Financial
  • Policies
  • Strategic Plan

Opportunity

  • Advertising and Sponsorship
  • Speaking Engagements
  • Use of Photography
  • Work for Us

Go Deeper

  • Steady Habits Podcast
  • Economic Indicator Dashboard
  • Five Things

The Connecticut News Project, Inc. 1049 Asylum Avenue, Hartford, CT 06105. Phone: 860-218-6380

© Copyright 2021, The Connecticut News Project. All Rights Reserved. Website by Web Publisher PRO