BOSTON (Legal Newsline) — Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey has announced a federal judge ruled that New England electric transmission companies should refund consumers $234 million after allegations the companies charge ratepayers too much.
Transmission companies can recover transmission line construction costs plus a profit. The court decision reduces the return on equity transmission companies can earn on their investments.
“As the ratepayer advocate, we are pleased the administrative law judge agrees that the profits electric transmission companies and their investors are earning at the expense of ratepayers is too high,” Healey said. “If FERC agrees, New England ratepayers will be refunded hundreds of millions of dollars and will save millions more going forward.”
Assistant attorney general Rebecca L. Tepper, the chief of Healey’s Energy and Telecommunications Division, and assistant attorney general Donald W. Boecke, also of the Energy and Telecommunications Division, are handling the case.