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Photo illustration: Utility bills from Eversource and United Illuminating showing the public benefits charge. Credit: Shahrzad Rasekh / CT Mirror

No.

It’s not accurate to say most of the public benefit charge on Connecticut residents’ utility bills is tied to the Millstone Nuclear Power Station deal. The Millstone portion is closely tied to the price of natural gas, which fluctuates often.

Under a state contract, utilities must buy 50% of Millstone’s output at a fixed price through 2029. The cost of that electricity is passed along to customers as an additional charge, or in some cases a credit, depending on the market rate for wholesale power.

But the public benefits charge also covers the costs of energy efficiency programs, renewable energy initiatives and programs to help low-income or struggling customers pay their electric bills.

These costs are also affected by external factors, meaning an increase or decrease in the Millstone portion can be offset by another portion of the costs that make up the public benefits charge year after year.

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Mariana Navarrete Villegas is a Community Engagement Reporter for The Connecticut Mirror, covering Hartford. She recently graduated from the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism with a master’s degree in Bilingual Journalism. Previously, she was the Community Engagement and Video Assistant at Epicenter-NYC and a Podcast Intern at The Take, Al Jazeera English’s daily news podcast. As a reporter, she has covered stories from New York to Florida, California, Panama, and Mexico, focusing on labor rights, immigration, and community care. She also hosts 'La Chismesita,' a community radio show in New York that archives oral histories through conversations with women community leaders. Originally from Mexico, Mariana spent her teenage years in Panama. She holds a B.A. in Global Studies with a minor in Psychology from Saint Leo University, where she interned at the International Rescue Committee.