
The Connecticut Senate recently passed a bipartisan energy bill that would create a new energy department in the state and change electricity regulation practices, reports the Connecticut Mirror.
According to the news source, the new Department of Energy and Environmental Protection - an initiative spearheaded by Governor Dannel P. Malloy - would bring together experts and regulators from various state departments such as the Department of Public Utility Control and the Department of Environmental Protection.
"This bill represents a strategic new approach to our state's energy policy that will reduce future energy costs and decrease our dependence on fossil fuels," Malloy explained. "The fact that this bill enjoyed bipartisan unanimous support speaks to the will of our legislators to address the detrimental impact high energy costs have had on families, business and industry, and our overall economy."
The legislation, which now moves to the state's House of Representatives, is reportedly designed to help lower the state's electricity rates, which are among the highest in the country, according to the news source. Though many measures in the legislation will have an impact on retail electricity suppliers, customer choice in Connecticut will continue to exist.
The bill passed unanimously in the Senate by a vote of 36 to 0, reports The Day.

