CT Attorney General Bashes Utility's Efforts To Recover Storm Costs

CONNECTICUT — Attorney General William Tong Wednesday "urged" the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority to reject "hundreds of millions of dollars" that Eversource "is seeking from ratepayers for unprecedented interest payments for unvetted and unapproved storm costs dating back to 2018."

On Dec. 15, 2025, Tong said, Eversource sought PURA approval to recover almost $1 billion in projected storm costs for a series of catastrophic storms occurring between 2018 and 2023, as well as $340 million in interest payments associated with those costs.

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Tong’s brief filed Wednesday argues that Eversource’s carrying cost demand is premature, unprecedented and should be rejected.

Between 2018 and 2023, Connecticut experienced several major storms that brought snow, flooding, tornadoes, damaging winds and power outages. While the state avoided direct hurricane landfalls in that span, severe weather repeatedly disrupted travel, utilities and local communities.

“This is a rushed cash grab by Eversource after years of delay. Eversource chose to avoid PURA scrutiny for years and years on these storm costs. They didn’t want to answer tough questions," Tong said. "Now, they’re suddenly demanding hundreds of millions of dollars in interest payments from ratepayers because they think they have the votes at PURA. Eversource is not owed special treatment. PURA owes ratepayers a thorough review of every cost to ensure families are not paying a penny more than absolutely required."

Tong added, "It is clear PURA precedent that storm cost interest payments are not authorized until costs have been vetted and deemed prudent. Eversource has repeatedly chosen to delay that scrutiny over many years."

Tong said The stat6e Office of Consumer Counsel and others have raised a series of questions regarding costs associated with external contractors, improper storms included for recovery, pre-staging costs, inadequate documentation, misapplication of mileage standards, among other concerns.

"Rather than promptly addressing those questions, Eversource has expressed outrage at the process and has filed 74 motions for extensions of time to respond to discovery requests — totaling more than 1,000 days of delay," Tong said

The Company could have done "a host of different things" if it wanted to obtain a decision faster, Tong said.

"It could have responded to interrogatories without asking for 1,000 days of extensions. It could have simply filed for recovery of 2018-to-2021 storms without supplementing the filing to include four more years of costs to evaluate. It could have filed a rate case for storm recovery, in which the Authority would be time-bound to enter a determination. It could have requested express approval from the Authority to obtain carrying charges on the storm costs expenses. The Company took none of these steps. It should not now be permitted to hold ratepayers responsible for timing issues that were essentially a business decision,” Attorney General Tong states in today’s brief," Tong said.

Assistant Attorneys General Caroline McCormack and John Wright and Deputy Associate Attorney General Michael Wertheimer are assisting the Attorney General in the case.