Yankee asks PURA to allow recovery of $767,000 paid to Connecticut DOT for inspection fees
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Summary
Yankee told PURA it has paid approximately $767,000 to Connecticut DOT for roadway inspection charges and urged the authority to allow recovery or to open a separate docket so DOT can participate in adjudicating whether DOT may impose inspection fees on public service companies.
Yankee reported it paid about $767,000 to the Connecticut Department of Transportation for inspection charges tied to excavation and construction work and said PURA’s final order cited a 1996 decision involving the city of Hartford that did not involve DOT. Counsel asked PURA to permit recovery of the amounts already paid or to allow Yankee to file a separate petition (under Conn. Gen. Stat. §16‑231) so DOT could participate and present its legal authorities directly to PURA.
Company counsel said it paid invoices in good faith to avoid construction delays, suggested placing ongoing invoices in escrow pending PURA’s resolution, and proposed an expedited future docket that would give DOT notice and an opportunity to be heard. Commissioners asked whether historical amounts already paid could be recovered; Yankee said not automatically but that PURA could consider historical amounts if the company includes them in a formal petition.
No DOT representative appeared at the oral argument; Yankee asked PURA to consider process adjustments so DOT could be heard before an authoritative view that would affect DOT’s legal rights is adopted.
