Press Releases
03/18/2020
Attorney General Tong Commends Municipal Electric Utilities, Metropolitan District Commission and Regional Water Authority for Following Shut-off Moratorium
After urging member utilities in the Connecticut Municipal Electric Energy Cooperative and the Regional Water Authority to voluntarily comply with the shut-off moratorium ordered last week by the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority, Attorney General William Tong thanked the municipal and regional utilities for taking swift action to help consumers.
Following a petition by the Attorney General, PURA last week granted an emergency shut-off moratorium for the electric, natural gas, and water utilities it regulates in response to the coronavirus pandemic. PURA’s shut-off moratorium order applies only to residential customers.
On March 16, Attorney General Tong sent letters to the Connecticut Municipal Electric Energy Cooperative (CMEEC) and the Regional Water Authority (RWA) urging the utilities to voluntarily comply with PURA’s shut-off moratorium.
Members of the CMEEC, including Bozrah Light and Power, Groton Utilities, Jewett City Department of Public Utilities, Norwalk SNEW and Norwalk Third Taxing District, have already implemented shut-off moratoriums for residential electric customers, which will continue for the duration of Gov. Ned Lamont’s civil preparedness and public health emergencies, or until the municipal electric utilities determine whether there is cause to lift the moratorium.
The Regional Water Authority decided to cease all water shut-offs due to non-payment on Thursday, March 12. RWA intends to keep this policy in place until April 30, at which point it will be revisited.
The Metropolitan District Commission has committed to a moratorium on service disconnections.
The Town of Wallingford and Norwich Public Utilities have also indicated to the Office of the Attorney General they will adhere to the moratorium.
“Everyone who can stay home right now, should stay home. But to do that, and to fight this epidemic, people need uninterrupted access to electricity, heat, and water. I want to thank PURA for their swift response to my petition and for immediately granting the shut-off moratorium. I also want to commend members of the Connecticut Municipal Electric Energy Cooperative, the Metropolitan District Commission and the Regional Water Authority for voluntarily complying with this shut-off moratorium. By working together, we can help protect the health and safety of all residents,” said Attorney General Tong.
For a copy of the letter Attorney General Tong sent to CMEEC, click here.
For a copy of the letter Attorney General Tong sent to RWA, click here.
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