Legislative Session Ends, Lobbying Over Energy Bill Goes On

An intense lobbying effort over a major energy bill passed last week on the final day of the regular legislative session has shifted from the General Assembly to an uncommitted Gov. M. Jodi Rell.

An email blast to AARP members, who number nearly 600,000 in Connecticut, has generated scores of phone calls urging Rell to sign the bill, while industry groups are pleading for her to veto the biggest energy bill since deregulation of the electric industry in 1998.

The bill expands the role of utility regulators, subsidizes solar power, sets energy standards for appliances and imposes tighter rules on how energy retailers sell to consumers. 

Read more in The Connecticut Mirror.