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Cromwell council to draft protest letter and explore options after Eversource rate increases
Summary
After expressing outrage at Eversource's proposed rate hikes, the mayor proposed drafting a strongly worded letter to state officials, coordinating with neighboring towns, and investigating long‑term municipal options; the council asked staff to reach out to nearby towns and prepare a co‑signed response.
Councilors spent the June 10 meeting discussing possible municipal responses to recent Eversource rate increases. Mayor James Demitrias characterized the increases as unacceptable and outlined several options: sign a petition initiated by Vernon; jointly draft a protest letter to state regulators and elected officials; or study the long‑term option of a municipal utility (which would require buying distribution assets and establishing administrative, operations and maintenance capacity).
The mayor cited publicly reported company figures when urging action — noting recent Eversource profitability and executive compensation — and asked the council whether the town should pursue a protest letter and outreach to neighboring communities. He also said preliminary research suggests the assessed value of Eversource equipment in town could amount to a large acquisition price (a figure cited in the meeting transcript that requires verification), and warned that municipal takeover carries heavy cost and operational commitments.
Council consensus: draft a strongly worded letter for the council to review and reach out to nearby towns (Rocky Hill, Middletown, Berlin, Portland) to determine collective interest and possible joint action. The mayor said he will draft a letter for council review and will contact neighboring towns to see if they want to coordinate.
Next steps: mayor to draft a protest/advocacy letter and circulate to the council for comment; outreach to neighboring towns to explore coalition options; staff to continue to monitor regulatory timetable and any state decisions.
