Mr. Blumenthal Goes to Washington
By LEANNE GENDREAU
Updated 11:30 AM EDT, Tue, Nov 3, 2009
Attorney General Richard Blumenthal wants the states and local residents to have the power to fight high electricity rates, and that took him to Washington on Tuesday to argue his point before the United States Supreme Court.
He wants the powerful panel of judges to uphold a lower court’s decision to allow all of us to fight unreasonable power prices.
Several power companies claim prices result from private contracts, which regulators or citizens cannot challenge, and they want the courts to overturn the ruling.
“I am urging the justices to reject Big Energy’s power grab to prevent states and individuals from contesting unfair and unreasonable electricity rates,” Blumenthal said.
Blumenthal challenges the power companies’ defense.
“Power companies can contract among themselves, but consumers and states must retain their long-established right to challenge resulting rates that are unfair and unreasonable. Power producers, already making windfall profits, are seeking to undermine states’ and individuals’ authority to contest excessive prices, even as Connecticut suffers under the highest electricity costs in the continental United States,” he said.
The case stems from a settlement between some New England power companies, regulators and federal authorities over new charges to ratepayers intended to encourage power plant construction.
First Published: Nov 3, 2009 11:14 AM EDT
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