John Erlingheuser

Ratepayers in Connecticut pay the highest rates in the continental United States. Those entering third party electric supplier contracts to save money frequently find that what seems like a good deal initially turns into a costly mistake in the end. This is due to an anti-consumer provision of these supplier contracts that allows them to be auto-renewed at their conclusion.

AARP has worked for over a decade to address and rectify the fraud, misleading advertising and unscrupulous practices that has plagued and undermined Connecticut’s deregulated third-party electric market place. This has frequently resembled a game of whack-a-mole with a new scheme or trick popping up every time AARP and other consumer advocates knock down a deceptive supplier tactic through legislation or a Public Utilities Regulatory Authority ruling.

Don’t buy the high-priced spin from Dominion Energy about the Millstone nuclear power plant they own. The plant is not in eminent danger of closing and does not need a Connecticut only ratepayer-funded subsidy. There is no doubt that Millstone is an important asset in Connecticut that employees many hardworking residents and represents over half of energy generated here. However, according to a recent MIT study it is the most profitable of the more than 60 operating nuclear plants in the United States.