Gov. Dannel Malloy on Wednesday announced a utility reform legislation, calling for performance standards in the wake of 2011’s major power outages.
Malloy said his reform bill will create benchmarks for state utilities Connecticut Light & Power and United Illuminating, and regulations providing a clear incentive for proper preparation and repair in the case of major disasters.
Tropical Storm Irene in October and the Oct. 29 snowstorm each knocked out power to nearly 1 million ratepayers in Connecticut, leaving some without electricity for up to 11 days. The public criticism of the utilities’ performance – particularly from CL&P – led to several independent and legislative investigations, which resulted in a number of recommendations. Those recommendations included performance standards, penalties and better communication.
Malloy said Wednesday his office will introduce a bill reflecting those recommendations in the coming days.
The announcement of pending legislation comes as no surprise as emergency preparation and utility regulations were figured to be a major issue in the upcoming General Assembly session starting Feb. 8. CL&P and United Illuminating have 39 lobbyists registered through the Office of State Ethics in advance of the legislative session.
The governor also announced the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection will conduct the largest state-wide emergency preparedness drill in recent history.
“These are concrete steps that will improve our emergency response, but they by no means represent the totality of our actions,” Malloy said in a press release. “Effective emergency management demands that we constantly evolve and improve, and my administration will do just that in the weeks and months ahead.”
