Attorney General George Jepsen has welcomed the cut that regulators look likely to make to Connecticut Light and Power’s requested rate hike, but he said they should go further.
The Public Utility Regulatory Authority said in a draft decision that it’s considering a hike in fixed fees for the average customer from $16.00 to $19.25 a month. That’s less than half of what CL&P originally sought.
The increase would allow CL&P to raise its revenues by about $130 million.
The utility said it needs to cash to harden its infrastructure against storms. Attorney General Jepsen said he’s still concerned that the fixed fee increase hits low income customers disproportionately hard. He said he’ll be filing additional comments with regulators before they make their final decision.
Hospital Go-Ahead
Meanwhile, Jepsen is one of the officials to give the thumbs-up to a Texas hospital group for its proposed purchase of Waterbury Hospital. Tenet wants to take over Waterbury and four other hospitals in Connecticut. Some community groups have expressed concerns that the for-profit group will change the nature of care at previously non-profit institutions. The Attorney General and the Office of Health Care Access both issued a tentative approval for the deal.
Toy Safety Highlighted
Parents are being warned to screen the toys they buy this Christmas very carefully. An annual report released by ConnPIRG found 24 toys on the market that could be dangerous to children.
The hazards included choking, toxic chemicals and excessive noise. Dr. Steve Rogers is a pediatric emergency medicine specialist at Connecticut Children’s Medical Center. He said last year more than a quarter of a million children around the country were hospitalized because of injuries caused by toys. "So parents, this year, please, think safety first when buying toys," he said in a news conference. "Start by picking age-appropriate toys and then inspect them, supervise your children when they play with them." ConnPIRG has issued tips for safe shopping this season.
