Connecticut families deserve confidence that utility decisions are made in the public interest, not behind closed doors.

Recently released public records revealed repeated phone calls and text messages between a PURA commissioner and an Avangrid executive during the period between a draft and final decision in a major utility rate case. The final decision ultimately shifted millions of dollars in Avangrid's favor. While we do not know what was discussed, the timing, frequency, and lack of transparency raise serious questions that deserve an independent investigation.

These revelations are part of a broader pattern of monopoly utilities using their influence to weaken oversight while Connecticut residents continue paying some of the highest electricity prices in the nation. When the public cannot be confident that regulatory decisions are being made fairly and transparently, trust in government suffers.

The Connecticut Office of State Ethics should investigate these communications to determine whether ethics or ex parte rules were violated. If public confidence in this decision has been compromised, the case should be reopened and reconsidered.

Connecticut deserves utility regulation that is transparent, independent, and accountable to the public.

Send a letter today urging the Office of State Ethics to investigate.