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I'm Mark Sudal. Welcome back to power and politics. Well, this week, the majority of United illuminating residential customers learn they may pay more for their electricity supply in the first six months of next year. Once again, bringing up the sore subject across our state about high electric rates. State Republicans say the message from state Democrats is keep paying more state representative rahb. Uh Ali Brennan joins us now to talk about some of this as a state Democrat and deputy majority leader. What is your response to that Republican comment? Look, I mean, we're paying a lot because we're investing way too much in natural gas and so natural gas is very volatile, especially in the winter time and we need to make sure that we're diversifying our energy portfolio. But at the end of the day, I agree that, you know, Connecticut residents shouldn't have to decide between keeping the lights on and uh you know, paying for their food. So we're focused the session on working to make sure that we can see what we can do to lower some of those energy rates. Now you just came back from a nuclear power conference. Uh is nuclear power more the answer to cut some of our electric rates or what, what are your thoughts? Yes. So, um actually nuclear power, uh it's uh 40% of Connecticut's nuclear energy comes, uh electricity comes from nuclear energy. And so that's a big portion and then that's clean, it's reliable. So we should be investing more in that. And so something that I've been working on is seeing what we can do in the state to kind of make Connecticut more attractive so that we can attract some of those companies to make sure that we're expanding there. So when we're looking at technology down the road in 10 years, we're looking at small modular reactors and those are, you know, very compact. Um They're not what you think about like the Simpsons with the big smoke sacks, um they're smaller, uh they're cost effective. Um They're clean and they're safe. And so we're looking to make sure that we can add to Connecticut's um energy portfolio by adding some more of those while we scale up renewable energy like wind and solar and we know that wind, you need wind solar, you need the sun. So nuclear energy is very reliable. It causes base load power, which means that it's running 24 7. So there's no disruption to it. It's it's uh reliable and that's something that we want to add more to our grid. So, so I mean, we have Millstone already. Um what would these other subsidiary, subsidiary uh plants look like? Is it just a smaller version of that or? So, I mean, the thing is um as vice chair of the Energy Committee in 2022 I helped pass legislation that reversed the moratorium that we had that restricted us from building anything more on nuclear facility sites. So we have Millstone, that's the one site we have in Connecticut. Um This would basically allow us to kind of build on that site. And so I know that I've spoken with Millstone and Dominion. Um they're definitely interested, they're working right now in Virginia on some of this stuff. But um I think the whole thing is that we're trying to make Connecticut signal that we are ready and we want to be open to this technology and this uh this energy. Yeah, I know a Yankee nuclear power plant has been decommissioned now for a long time. No plans that that would reopen. No, no, no. Um So then you said in August that Millstone accounts for the majority of the recent rate hikes. So, but now now we can maybe cut these rates. So three things, I mean, in the summer, uh First of all, Connecticut, our energy rates are some of the highest in the country. Um But this summer, we saw an increase in that because of three things. One, it was like the hottest summer on record. Uh July was the hottest summer. Uh hottest month and then you have two things that were in the public benefits portion of the bill. One was the Millstone um Power purchase agreement pay back. So in 2017, the state legislature uh made sure that the Millstone Power plant would stay open. So utilities had to buy power from them at a set rate. We're paying that now, that was 77% of your bill in the power in the uh public bene benefits portion. And then the rest of that, most of that was um from the pandemic. So recovery costs. So when people couldn't afford to pay their bills, they weren't paying at the time. Now, we're recovering some of those costs. And I do think the Republicans have villainized some of that um you know, portion of the bill because it's not just people are not paying that back. People who couldn't afford that, they're paying it back. It's the small businesses that went out of business that were kind of paying those costs back. So, do you agree with Republicans that there are some hidden costs that the utilities don't want you to know about? Um So the legislation that I've helped pass as vice chair was to bring transparency. So that's why your bill is transparent and you can see the public um you know, benefits portion of that bill. Um It's a little, we can't break down everything. So that's why I think it gets a little confusing, but this session working with the moderate caucus. We're looking at what we can do to, to review that there are obviously some mandates in there. Maybe that shouldn't be on the ratepayer, maybe it should be in the general fund. Um You know, we're also looking at things like smart meters working with eversource. Um, smart meters are basically like a Fitbit for your home. It tells you, you know what your usage is. So if it's a summer and you're running your ac and um you know, demand is high, maybe now is not the time to do the laundry, maybe wait till midnight. So we wanna make sure that the grid is smart and that people are aware of what they're doing. But also let's see what we can do to bring down the cost. And um maybe some of that public uh benefits portion, maybe there's a state, um you know, with taxes, maybe people can have a write off on that. So, uh we're, we're reviewing every option we can this session. And so I know energy is dense. Um you know, it's a long term goal, but let's see what we can do this session to kind of help alleviate some of that pressure. Well, and I know you've been diligent too about uh reaching out to Pura and, and trying to hold these utilities accountable. So we've given them a lot of power. The thing is the make up of pure right now is not in the benefit of the public. And they do have one of those chairs, uh roles is up for um one of the men that are retiring. And so David Ar Conti, who was chair of the Energy Committee, um while I was a vice chair, uh he's a de a Danbury resident. He's being nominated and he, it was a great pick. We helped to kind of uh rein in some of the uh, utilities with, uh, transparency making sure that they can't recoup costs, um, for lobbying. So, uh, we kind of have given enough power to Pura to kind of go forth because we're restricted in what we can do with regulating utilities as well. All right, Raheb. Thank you so much. Thank you. Well, Connecticut's second female governor has done coming up a look back at Jodi Roll's time in Hartford and what she meant to our state.

https://vod.prod.alticeustech.com/transcode/632103ec-3d17-4da8-87dd-615683e58ef5/632103ec-3d17-4da8-87dd-615683e58ef5.transcribe

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One of Connecticut's most popular politicians has died. Former Governor Jodi Rell Rell helped the state heal after a corruption scandal that sent her predecessor, Governor John Roland to prison. Seven years later, she left office with high historically approval ratings news 12, Connecticut's John Craven with her impact on our state. You do solemnly swear Jody Rall was never supposed to become governor, at least not like this. In 2004, she stepped in after John Roland resigned amid a corruption scandal. It's truly been an honor. It has. Um it's been my privilege to serve as governor. I never thought I would be governor of the state. Critics called Rell the accidental governor, but she cleaned up state government. She implemented things like the clean election laws. She worked with really just making sure that government was something that the people could trust again. And after seven years, Rell left office as one of Connecticut's most popular politicians, Jody Rell uh was someone that was universally liked and admired by people on both sides of the aisle. That's one of the things I always try to talk to candidates about. And I think Jody was the perfect example of that, Rell was also a champion for gay rights when it was politically unpopular. She helped former state rep Joe Gray Bars pass the nation's first anti discs crimination law. Later as Governor Rell made same sex marriage legal. I am positive that she wanted to do it for personal reasons. And she expressed to me um how personal it was for her to do that raise your right hand. Rell's last public appearance was Governor Ned Lamotte's first inauguration. The two remained close. She was a friend was always there at our holiday party, at the residence, always there to uh greet the young people as they came in and um with a big smile as she left office, Rell had one word of advice for politicians, trust the people. They're very smart and they will help you if you just engage them. I said to my husband this morning and that was John Craven reporting. Well, that's all our time. I'm Mark Sudal. Thanks for watching.

https://vod.prod.alticeustech.com/transcode/2ff33f5c-a52a-4f7d-89cf-60d553fa206b/2ff33f5c-a52a-4f7d-89cf-60d553fa206b.transcribe

Rep. Jim Himes and State Representative Raghib Allie-Brennan join this week's edition of Power & Politics. 

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