Latest news with #PURA
Yahoo
02-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
CT energy bill snarled by debate on consumer savings and regulatory power. What that means for you.
Energy legislation intended to cut consumer electric bills was stalled again Monday by ongoing disagreement over how much power the state's chief utility regulator would be allowed to wield. And as the debate over regulatory power dragged through another day, the savings consumers were promised they could find in their electric bills continued to shrink. Agreement on both power and savings remained elusive Monday evening as legislators continued to debate both questions while racing toward the General Assembly's Wednesday adjournment deadline. But it appeared legislative proposals that just weeks ago would have sliced as much as $800 million from the public benefits portion of consumer electric bills had been reduced to $180 million each for customers of Eversource and United Illuminating. The numbers are likely to change before the state Senate and House vote. For an average Eversource customer, a drop from $800 million to $180 million in public benefit costs means a monthly drop in the average customer bill from about $20 to about $5 a month, a company spokesman said. The savings could be greater for the far fewer United Illuminating customers. Customers of both utilities pay about $1 billion a year in public benefit costs, which are state mandated programs to develop carbon free electric generation, promote conservation and help pay the electric bills of customers unable to do so. Defeat of proposals to move a higher proportion of public benefit costs off electric bills by bonding them or paying for them with general taxation is seen as a victory for environmental and conservation advocates. 'It amounts to a less significant reduction,' House Republican Leader Vincent Candelora of North Branford said. 'It is something but it is not as much as I would like to have seen. The political fight over how much control Public Utility Regulatory Authority Chairman Marissa Gillett has over electric regulation has been simmering for more than a year. But it has flared up as lawmakers struggle to deliver on comprehensive energy legislation they promised when record heart and market forces conspired to send rates soaring last summer. Under Gillett, PURA has been in an extended fight with state utilities. Eversource and United Illuminating assert in lawsuits and regulatory filings that PURA has shown an anti-utility bias under Gillett and has issued legally questionable regulatory decisions resulting in repeated reductions in their credit ratings. The two electric utilities have sued PURA, claiming that Gillett has squeezed fellow commissioners out of the decision making process and is effectively breaking the law by making unilateral decisions. Candelora, backed by House Speaker Matt Ritter, D-Hartford, inserted language in the energy bill that would require all commissioners to vote to appoint hearing officers, to vote on all questions before the authority and to make all votes available for public inspection. Gillett advocates in PURA, the legislature and elsewhere have tried — but so far failed — to change Candelora's language in ways that some lawyers have said would not only preserve her power to direct decisions, but retroactively neutralize the utility suit. On Monday, language had been inserted in the latest legislative draft that appeared to be another effort to undermine Candelora's proposals. 'There is a sentence in there that is appointing her as the administrator and the way that language is written it would de facto make her the presiding officer on all the cases,' Candelora said. 'So I have had to push back on that. I am waiting to hear back.I don't believe PURA was ever intended to have one person presiding over it.' 'This bill is not going to run in the house if it is not fixed,' Candelora said. Ritter has agreed, saying the legislation would not be sent to the House without Candlora's support.
CBS News
29-04-2025
- Business
- CBS News
Johns Hopkins University to use endowment to offset federal funding cuts
Johns Hopkins University will use a portion of its $13.2 billion endowment to help compensate for major cuts to research funding by the federal government, according to The Baltimore Banner. The cuts are attributed to actions by the Trump administration, specifically through the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which has implemented reductions in federal funding to research institutions, including NIH grant terminations and limits on indirect research costs. Last month, JHU said it was laying off 2,200 workers, because of a loss of funding from USAID. How can JHU's Endowment fund be used? According to the Banner, JHU officials say that the university's endowment fund is required to be used for specific purposes, which are prioritized by donors. "That said, we are using flexible resources — some of which are tied to endowment earnings — to help sustain critical research in this moment of uncertainty," Hopkins said Monday. Hopkins announces new research grants and programs JHU announced two new research grants on Monday. The grants are intended to "support faculty with work challenged by federal grant delays, terminations, and other interruptions." "We are deeply committed to sustaining the people and projects that power discovery at Johns Hopkins. While we cannot make up the full measure of recent or potential federal research cuts, we are striving to provide several new supports to faculty, students, and staff directly affected to temper some of the most immediate impacts on our research enterprise," JHU officials said in a statement to faculty Monday. Faculty facing unexpected federal research funding cancellations can apply for JHU Pivot grants offering up to $150,000 for a maximum of 12 months. The awards support researchers with terminated federal grants or subcontracts by providing flexible funding to redirect their research focus. JHU Bridge Grants provide temporary funding to sustain research programs affected by significant federal funding delays in review and renewal cycles. The University also announced a new PhD Student Thesis and Postdoc Research Completion Program, and the expansion of the Summer Provost's Undergraduate Research Awards (PURA)program. Information on the new research funding is available on JHU's Research Support Program webpage.
Yahoo
25-04-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Pioneering teenagers win acclaim for invention that could change the future of clean water: 'We'll refine our prototype'
Two European teens have won a prestigious prize for their invention, which could change the future of clean water. Earlier this month, Tomáš Čermák, an 18-year-old from the Czech Republic, and Anna Podmanická, a 19-year-old from Slovakia, were named the European winners of The Earth Prize. The two were recognized for their invention, PURA, which uses light and plasma to purify wastewater. As writes, PURA is an "energy-efficient, cost-effective solution [that] could transform water purification and ensure a healthier future." Podmanická's research specializes in water purification using photocatalysis, in which light sets off a chemical reaction that breaks down organic matter at a molecular level, leaving water and carbon dioxide behind. Čermák researches how cold plasma can destroy pollutants and bacteria, and they combined their specialties to create PURA. reports that PURA is already working on a small scale, removing impurities from wastewater and making it suitable for drinking water and other household uses. "Our next step is to scale PURA," Cermak said in a video accepting the award. "We'll refine our prototype, test it in real-world conditions, engage students, and work with policymakers to lay groundwork for this new technology." Finding an affordable way to bring clean water to all people would truly change the world. The United Nations estimates that 2 billion people, or roughly 25% of the world's population, don't have access to clean drinking water. And recent studies show that PFAS, or "forever chemicals," are prevalent in drinking water globally. The Earth Prize is an international competition, awarding teenagers who develop solutions that move the world toward environmental sustainability. Each of the seven regional winners, such as Čermák and Podmanická, receives $12,500 to help implement their idea. A public vote determines the global grand champion, with the winner announced in late April. Previous projects from the competition include an AI-powered wildfire sensor, a tool that helps predict flood patterns, and technology that uses plasma to boost crop yields and create eco-friendly fertilizer. How often do you worry about the quality of your drinking water? Never Sometimes Often Always Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Join our free newsletter for weekly updates on the latest innovations improving our lives and shaping our future, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Yahoo
20-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Capitol Report: Leaders debate energy legislation, DEI, PURA Commissioner
NEW HAVEN, Conn. (WTNH) — This week on Capitol Report, the panel discusses the future of energy legislation in Connecticut, including a new proposal to cut utility rates by 20%. Not all lawmakers are buying in. Plus, the Connecticut Department of Education declines to comply with the Executive Order to end DEI in schools and a walkout occurred during the PURA Commissioner nomination vote. News 8 political reporter Mike Cerulli shares more on energy legislation. The panel discusses an apology from Secretary of State Stephanie Thomas over comments regarding the Trump administration and how a Stamford Mayoral candidate is a time traveler from space. Watch the show in the video above. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
15-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Republicans walk out of Senate in protest of vote for top utility regulator
HARTFORD, Conn. (WTNH) — Republicans walked out of the State Senate on Tuesday to protest what they call a 'blatant quid pro quo' centering around the re-confirmation of Public Utility Regulatory Authority (PURA) Commissioner Marissa Gillett. Gillett, Arconti approved by House to serve as PURA commissioners In February, the governor's office entered into a deal to ensure that Gillett would get a favorable vote in a legislative committee. As a part of that deal, a senator on that committee, Democrat John Fonfara, would be appointed to the board of the Utility Regulator. Fonfara's new role comes with a six-figure salary. The senator, who represents Connecticut's 1st district, had been deliberating whether or not to support Gillett for another term: he ultimately voted yes. Democrats in the state senate have mostly referred questions about that deal to the governor's office, but Republicans have been speaking out against the deal for months. 'It is nothing short of corruption what has gone on here today to get Marissa Gillett's vote out of the executive nominations committee,' Senate Minority Leader Republican Sen. Steve Harding said. 'The governor's office played a significant role and a direct role in making that happen. It is wrong beyond words. And we will not allow our constituents vote to be complicit in what has gone on here.' CT's top utility regulator clears key vote in legislature The Senate Majority Leader praised Gillett's work at PURA. 'Let's talk about Marissa – her work as a change agent at PURA,' Senate Majority Leader Sen. Bob Duff said. 'How she has saved consumers millions of dollars, how she has four wins to zero losses when it comes to rate cases in court. She has done a very good job to work for consumers.' The governor has acknowledged that there was an 'arrangement' made to secure Gillett's re-confirmation and that appointing Fonfara was a part of that arrangement. His spokesperson characterized the Republican walk-out as 'political theater' and that the governor just wants to focus on getting cheaper energy in Connecticut. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
