EAST HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) _ A coalition of labor, religious and environmental groups is lobbying state regulators to reject Connecticut Light & Power’s request for a higher rate intended to upgrade equipment following storms and to prevent future outages.
The Connecticut Roundtable on Climate and Jobs is scheduled to meet at 7 p.m. Monday at the Machinists union in East Hartford to oppose the CL&P proposal.
Opponents are taking aim at CL&P’s request to raise a monthly charge to $25.50 from $16. They say the increase would undermine energy conservation and hurt low-income ratepayers.
The utility, a subsidiary of Northeast Utilities, says the rate request is needed for improvements to equipment and systems. CL&P says improvements and replacements have boosted electricity reliability.
State Consumer Counsel Elin Swanson Katz is asking regulators to reduce CL&P’s request.