Berlin electric utility Connecticut Light & Power has settled for $2.5 million an accusation that the company impeded regulators’ investigation into the October 2011 power outage, according to Attorney General George Jepsen.
Jepsen had accused CL&P officials of not divulging all of its documentation following the October 2011 nor’easter that knocked power out to more than 800,000 customers, some for up to 11 days. The documentation showed some CL&P officials believed the utility’s restoration estimates were unrealistic.
“We are pleased to have reached an agreement with the Attorney General’s office which puts this 2011 storm-related issue behind us,” CL&P spokesman Mitch Gross said.
The $2.5 million will be a donation made to Bloomfield nonprofit Operation Fuel, which provides energy assistance for low-income households.
“At the same time, we are glad that through this settlement we are able to provide a benefit to a worthy cause — Operation Fuel. This winter’s prolonged cold has depleted the emergency fuel bank while the need for heating assistance has continued to increase,” Gross said.
The Public Utilities Regulatory Authority investigation into CL&P’s October 2011 storm response found the company was deficient and inadequate in its efforts to prepare for and respond to outages. PURA said CL&P would be assessed a penalty the next time it filed for a change in its electricity rates, a filing that is expected sometime this year.
Jepsen has requested PURA penalize CL&P up to $143 million for its 2011 storm response, but PURA said CL&P could avoid that penalty by showing its emergency restoration efforts have improved since that time. CL&P’s parent Northeast Utilities has told shareholders that it doesn’t believe the utility will face a penalty.
