Jepsen
HARTFORD, Conn. (Legal Newsline) - Connecticut Attorney General George Jepsen recommended on Wednesday that state utility regulators fine Connecticut Light & Power Co. for allegedly failing to correct and upgrade long-standing problems.
Jepsen made the recommendation in separate written exceptions to a draft decision made by the state Public Utilities Regulatory Authority. PURA issued a draft decision on Jan. 4 after looking into the safety of the Waterbury underground electric distribution system for more than five years.
Jepsen agreed with PURA that CL&P's upgrade of the system contained many defects threatening both injury to employees and contractors and reliability. He also agreed with findings PURA made that CL&P must improve the oversight of work done by its contractors.
Jepsen disagreed with the draft position made by the regulators to not impose sanctions on CL&P for its alleged failure to maintain a reliable and safe system in Waterbury. Jepsen said that CL&P, and not the company's customers, should pay for the cost of a third-party consultant meant to evaluate system work.
"PURA should not require CL&P's customers to continue to fund the company's repeated efforts to meet its most fundamental obligation of making its system adequately safe and reliable," Jepsen said. "CL&P has had many chances to upgrade its system and has failed to do so."