“I do think it would have a devastating effect,” William Dornbos, a spokesman for the energy activist organization Acadia Center, said of early reports that the bipartisan budget proposal would rely in part on taking those energy funds.

[…]

“If the proposed severe cuts in energy efficiency and clean energy ratepayer funds happen, Connecticut’s economy, quality of life, and fight against local air pollution and climate change will suffer a major setback,” Dornbos said.

He warned that, Connecticut will immediately start bleeding good-paying efficiency and solar jobs to other neighboring states that are investing more, not less, in these promising economic sectors,” according to Dornbos.

“This will hurt in multiple ways… These ratepayer-funded programs drive in-state job growth and economic activity that put many millions of dollars in tax revenue into the state treasury,” Dornbos said. “Ratepayer fund raids just make state budget deficits worse.”

Read the full story from the Hartford Courant here.