Your Never-Ending Eversource or UI Bill - VOTE August 13th
Illuminating the Shocking Subsidies hitting you this Summer - The Power is in your hands at the Ballot Box
I hope everyone is as excited about the November election as I am after a very different and humble message from President Trump as he accepted his endorsement.
While we will delve into that exceptional message another time, there is a pressing issue for Connecticut voters - YOUR ENERGY BILLS.
There was a time when the Bill had 2 lines - Supply Costs to make the energy and Transmission Costs to deliver it. I just got my bill and today there are 9 lines and the costs are skyrocketing. You have to be an accountant to understand the bill:
Source - Connecticut Office of Consumer Counsel
WHAT DOES THIS ALL MEAN? - There are 4 parts to this Never-ending bill: Supply, Transmission, Local Delivery, and Public Benefits.
Supply - this is the cost of energy generation - this is what it costs to make your power. In Connecticut, we rely on Nuclear and Natural Gas and our Energy Supply Costs are some of the highest in the Nation. If elected to Congress, I would fight to reduce regulation for mini nuclear power (Our Cheapest and Greenest Energy) and repeal the Jones Act for US Natural Gas - The windmills will not save Connecticut - See a prior article on that.
For this line item, according to Connecticut - Eversource and UI do not make a profit on this one.
Transmission - This is regulated by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). If elected as your next Congressman, this is a federal issue where I could help to try to ease the pain. For Transmission, Eversource and UI get a return on their investment to transmit the power to you.
The Local Delivery - This is your CT Government and the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA) at work. Eversource and UI earn a return on their distribution investments which is authorized and regulated by PURA.
The Public Benefits part of your bill is the kicker and is what you are charged for Eversource and UI to provide some things like grid reliability, affordability, clean energy and other mandates from Hartford. These are directly the result of bad energy policy due to a democrat controlled House and Senate.
The last bucket does not benefit you but it might benefit your neighbor or others. It is about 7 percent of your bill.
You may be asking Yourself - WHAT IS THE PUBLIC BENEFIT AND AM I PART OF THE PUBLIC?
These are effective taxes for you the hardworking Nutmegger to subsidize the utility companies and others who cannot afford to pay their bills and others who “go green” because they are told of the benefits. When they go green they are always sold the dream that equipment pays for itself. Well it pays for itself because you are paying and they are not. The best part is you have no say in these takings and they are effectively government programs paid for with your after tax dollars.
The System Benefits Charge is a subsidy where you are paying part of your electric bill to help people who cannot pay the bill (which is a normal government assistance program that is administered by the government). Connecticut has multiple programs that help those who cannot pay their bills and this is affecting a lot of every day Nutmeggers. A link to all these programs is listed in the most recent Consumer Alert from the CT OCC. While we have compassion for those who cannot pay their bills due to hardship, this should be a function of the State and Federal Government.
This sudden burden of forced charity could also be a result of an influx of illegals into Connecticut. You may be paying this because our Constitutional State is overwhelmed and outsourced this to you the tax payer to deal with. Or rather, they are imposing a taxation without representation.
YES - Our Border Crisis is hitting CT and we are as much a border town as any other State. We must close the border and reverse the Biden/Himes curse.
Another whammy to your bill is the Renewal Investment Charge. Essentially you, the taxpayer and now the billpayer, are making an investment that is run by CT to subsidize those who install renewable energy like solar panels. This is administered by the Connecticut Green Bank. They get panels and you pay.
The next shock to your wallet is the Conversion Adjustment Mechanism (CAM) charge. This is another conversion subsidy for your neighbors and an annual wealth transfer for about $160 million.
The final rate jolt in this “benefits” section is the Non-Bypassable Federally Mandated Conversion Charge (NBFMCC). This electric alphabet soup has initial renewable energy incentives at about 4.362 cents per KwH for Eversource and 2.7359 cents per KwH for UI.
Last I checked, you never thought you were going to be forced to help pay others bills or invest in a program where you do not see the benefit of it. Well you do and its called your taxes but this utility bill is not you W-2 or W-9 paycheck stub.
While I object to this taking by the government, you should at least get a tax credit on your state and federal income tax. While I work with your local state reps and senators to fight Hartford, I will be proposing that legislation in Congress to make the burden less shocking to your wallet.
The only way through this is sound energy policy for the US with the restoration of American Energy Independence, Micro-nuclear reactors to replace the nuclear dinosaurs in Connecticut and opening up new gas pipelines to Connecticut. Your Utility Bill should not be the never-ending line item.
Demand Transparency and Accountability and this is why I am running for Congress.
This is why it is more important to make your voices heard at the ballot box this November and this August at the Primary. There are no excuses. This is your fight to save your wallet, our democracy and our country and the time is NOW.
IF YOU JUST GOT YOUR BILL - MAKE A NOTE TO GO AND VOTE ON AUGUST 13th. You have a pocketbook to save.
Help me get through this primary so we can get to the people and retire Jim.
MAKE YOUR VOICES HEARD ON AUGUST 13th BY GOING TO THE POLLS.
Sharing is Caring - so if you like the message please pass it on.
Thank you for your continued support.
Dr. Michael Goldstein
Paid for by Goldstein for Congress
Excellent, Dr. Goldstein! Explaining our utility bills is a public service on your part. We, the people, are being taxed every which way without our consent and knowledge. Every single bill is loaded with hidden extra taxes. I wish gov’t types would go with me to the grocery store and watch other shoppers put things quietly back on the shelves as they realize they can’t afford that item that day. Do Himes and others see us??
The public systems benefit charge is much more complicated than you say. Most of the money is for energy conservation programs that help working class families and businesses quite a bit. But I forgot your party does not believe in energy conservation or global warming but in any case please stop spreading lies just to work people up and get them angry so they vote for you. Typical GOP politics.