FORUM ON DISCOUNTED UTILITY RATE

Operation Fuel recently held a forum on the need for a discounted utility rate for Connecticut, which is the only New England state without this type of rate. Last year, more than 231,000 lower-income Connecticut households faced an average home energy affordability gap of over $2,200 per household for a total affordability gap of $510 million. Front row, from left: Ronald Walsh, board chair, Operation Fuel; Patricia Wrice, executive director, Operation Fuel; and Fred Klein, partner, Pullman & Comley. Back row, from left: Jim Jacob, executive director, New Jersey Shares; Charles Goodwin, director, pricing strategy and administration, Northeast Utilities; David Thomas, volunteer economic security advocacy team leader, AARP Connecticut; and John Betkoski III, commissioner, Connecticut Department of Public Utility Control.