Acadia Center Intervenes in Eversource Rate Case

Read the Full Press Release Here

MEDIA CONTACTS:
Kate McAuliffe, Senior Policy Advocate – Connecticut
kmcauliffe@acadiacenter.org

Conrad Jarzebowski, Senior Director, Communications
cjarzebowski@acadiacenter.org

For Immediate Release

Hartford, CT – August 14, 2026 – Acadia Center has been granted intervenor status in Eversource’s 2026 rate case before the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA), seeking to ensure that any changes to electric rates protect consumers while advancing the state’s clean energy goals. Acadia Center is represented by Middletown, Conn.-based Michaud Law Group, LLC.

This rate case follows Eversource’s first rate application in nearly a decade, which requests a substantial increase in electric distribution rates. If approved, customer bills could increase by up to 18 percent. During a rate case, utility companies seek approval from PURA to recover costs of capital investments and other expenses. While other factors may cause electric distribution rates to change outside a rate case, this process has the potential for significant, long-term impact on rates.

Beyond the rates themselves, this rate case presents an opportunity to limit utility excessive profits, enhance accountability and transparency, adopt grid modernization initiatives, and update rate design methods that would bring measurable benefits to customers while supporting Connecticut’s transition to a clean electric grid.

“Connecticut families and businesses deserve an electric system that is affordable, reliable, and prepared to meet future energy goals,” said Kate McAuliffe, Senior Policy Advocate for the state of Connecticut, at Acadia Center. “Customers should know that the investments they’re being asked to fund are necessary, cost-effective, and building a reliable, resilient grid for the state while insulating ratepayers from expensive and volatile fossil fuel energy. The decisions made during this proceeding will lay the groundwork towards a modern electric system for the decades ahead.”

“PURA’s review of Eversource’s rate application is an important opportunity to ensure that the costs customers are being asked to bear are reasonable, necessary, and supported by the evidence,” said Paul Michaud, Managing Member Attorney at Michaud Law Group LLC. “We are pleased to represent Acadia Center and will work to ensure that its expertise and perspective are fully considered throughout this proceeding.”

Acadia Center brings decades of experience in utility regulation, electric system planning, energy affordability, and clean energy policy in Connecticut and neighboring states to this rate case. As an intervenor, Acadia Center will examine key issues throughout the proceeding, including:

• Utility Return on Equity: A power utility makes the vast majority of its profits through the return on equity it receives for building infrastructure. Acadia Center has long argued that utility returns on equity across the country are significantly higher than they should be, costing ratepayers billions more than necessary. Eversource is seeking a guaranteed return on equity (ROE) of 10.25 percent, a figure that is unreasonable and out of step with ROEs nationwide.
• Utility performance incentives: This rate case should align with PURA’s ongoing efforts to develop a system of performance-based ratemaking (PBR) that bases utility rates on the achievement of certain outcomes rather than the current system, which awards a return on capital investments.
• Grid modernization: This rate case presents an opportunity for Eversource to “advance the grid” through greater utilization of grid modernization technologies. These technologies are not simply an add-on to existing practices or a third-tier priority, as they are characterized in the Company’s filing. Their strategic implementation can improve grid resilience and aid affordability, in part by providing the structural and operational components necessary to integrate clean, affordable, and reliable energy resources and defer expensive “traditional” upgrades.
• Rate design reform: Eversource’s rate application proposes new rate designs, including a rate specifically for heat pump customers. While a heat pump rate could make heat pumps more affordable, it must be designed with accessibility and real usage patterns in mind and should draw on proven practices from other jurisdictions.

As the rate case moves forward, Acadia Center will advocate for a transparent review of Eversource’s proposal to ensure that investments deliver lasting public value. Acadia Center looks forward to lending its expertise to this critical proceeding.

About Acadia Center
Acadia Center is a nonprofit organization with over 25 years of experience dedicated to advancing transformative clean energy solutions that promote a livable climate and a more equitable economy in the Northeast United States and neighboring areas. Through rigorous data analysis and strategic partnerships, Acadia Center advocates for policies that significantly reduce carbon emissions and address systemic energy challenges. By collaborating with governments, industries, and communities, Acadia Center’s pragmatic strategies help to ensure an inclusive and sustainable energy future for all.

About Michaud Law Group LLC (“MLG”)

Michaud Law Group, with offices in Middletown, Conn., and Springfield, Mass., offers comprehensive legal services tailored to clean and renewable energy projects and environmental needs. The firm’s expertise spans project development on brownfields, landfills, former industrial sites, and greenfields. With nearly one gigawatt of successful solar, battery energy storage, fuel cell, and microgrid projects already completed or in development throughout New England, New York, New Jersey, and Washington, DC, we are a trusted partner in navigating the clean and renewable energy landscape.