STATE OF CONNECTICUT

PUBLIC UTILITIES REGULATORY AUTHORITY
July 31, 2020
In reply, please refer to:
Docket No. 20-01-01

Joaquina Borges King, Esq.
Senior Counsel
The Connecticut Light and Power Company
P.O. Box 270
Hartford, CT 06141-0270

Re:

Docket No. 20-01-01 – Administrative Proceeding to Review The Connecticut Light
and Power Company’s Standard Service and Supplier of Last Resort Service 2020
Procurement Results and Rates

Dear Ms. Borges King:
In Docket No. 20-01-01, The Connecticut Light and Power Company d/b/a
Eversource Energy (Eversource or Company) proposed changes to the Company’s
Revenue Decoupling Mechanism (RDM) charge, Transmission Adjustment Clause (TAC)
charge, Non-Bypassable Federally Mandated Congestion Charge (NBFMCC), and
Electric System Improvements Tracker (ESI) charge. By letter dated June 26, 2020, the
Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (Authority or PURA), pursuant to Conn. Gen. Stat. §§
16-19b and 16-244c, approved the proposed changes effective July 1, 2020, subject to
further review and approval in the applicable Rate Adjustment Mechanism (RAM) docket.
Due to the convergence of a number of recent events, including the July 1st
administrative adjustment to certain delivery rate components, the COVID-19 crisis and
its corresponding effect on customer energy usage, as well as the higher than normal
temperatures this month, Eversource customers recently received higher than anticipated
electric bills. As a consequence, the Authority has received numerous correspondence
and complaints related to the delivery charges incurred by Eversource ratepayers.
In addition, Connecticut’s legislative leaders recently expressed concern that
changes to energy usage by customers may result in over-recovery by utilities during a
period when ratepayers may be economically vulnerable.1 In a letter conveyed to the
1

Letter dated July 28, 2020, signed by Representative Arconti, Senator Needleman, Senator Formica,
Representative Ferraro, Senate Majority Leader Duff, Representative Candelora, Senator Fasano,
Speaker of the House Aresimowicz, House Majority Leader Ritter, House Minority Leader Klarides, and
Senate President Pro Tempore Looney.
10 Franklin Square, New Britain, CT 06051
An Equal Opportunity Employer
www.ct.gov/pura

 Docket No. 20-01-01

Page 2

Authority, leadership of the Energy and Technology Committee, as well as the Legislative
Leadership overall, requested that PURA conduct a thorough review of Eversource's
proposed changes and explore alternative cost recovery options, if appropriate.2
In light of the foregoing, the Authority will reexamine the administrative changes to
the energy and transmission adjustment clauses provisionally permitted by its June 26,
2020 letter. As an interim step, the Authority temporarily suspends its June 26, 2020
approval and orders the Company to immediately restore rates to those in effect as of
June 30, 2020. Specifically, as soon as practicable, but no later than August 7, 2020,
and until directed otherwise by the Authority, the Company shall use the RDM, TAC,
NBFMCC, and ESI charges in effect prior to the Authority’s June 26, 2020 approval letter.
The intent of this reexamination is to ensure that Eversource is not over-collecting
revenues in the short term at the expense of ratepayers during this period of financial
hardship. Importantly, all rate adjustments in this proceeding are subject to final approval
in the Company’s applicable RAM docket.
In furtherance of this objective, the Authority has recently issued interrogatories to
Eversource in this docket. The Authority will continue to accept public comments on this
matter and intends to hold a public hearing in August to obtain additional information
necessary to ensure that any rate changes to the energy and transmission adjustment
clauses are in compliance with all applicable statutes and regulations.

Sincerely,
PUBLIC UTILITIES REGULATORY AUTHORITY

Jeffrey R. Gaudiosi, Esq.
Executive Secretary

cc: Service List

2

Id.