Connecticut lawmakers, officials slam electric line project costs

U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., was joined Friday by Connecticut’s Consumer Counsel Elin Swanson Katz and Bill Dornbos, the state director of Acadia Center, in calling for action by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. Blumenthal, Katz and Dornbos spoke during a briefing at the state’s Legislative Office Building.

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Dornbos said that one reason for the high transmission costs is that the forecasting of future needs for electricity is overestimated.

“There is a 20 percent over-estimation of future demand,” he said.

Dornbos said the concerns being raised by he, Katz and Blumenthal shouldn’t be seen as an attempt to weaken the regional electric grid.

“While you may need transmission upgrades from time to time, that doesn’t mean that you should give the utilities a blank check on the scope of the construction costs,” Dornbos said.

Read the full article from the New Haven Register here.