黑料吃瓜网 utility regulators voted Wednesday against the sale of Aquarion, one of the state鈥檚 largest water utilities, during a public meeting.
Aquarion is owned by Eversource and provides water to residents in 60 towns in 黑料吃瓜网.
Eversource was planning on selling the utility to the South Central 黑料吃瓜网 Regional Water Authority, based in New Haven, for $2.4 billion.
But in a 4-0 vote, PURA regulators blocked that transaction, saying the sale might not be in the public鈥檚 interest.
Janice Beecher, a PURA commissioner who voted against the sale, said any change in control over the water authority should 鈥渂e demonstrably beneficial in meeting the public interest standard supported by economic, financial and legal analysis.鈥�
鈥淢oving forward, I urge all stakeholders to engage constructively and creatively about the stewardship of these vital assets on behalf of the consumers that they serve,鈥� she said.
Commissioners Holly Cheeseman, Michael Caron and vice chairman David Arconti also voted against the sale. Interim chairman Thomas Wiehl, who previously worked for the state Office of Consumer Counsel, abstained.
With deal busted, reaction flows in
Since Aquarion is owned by Eversource, its utility prices are subject to regulation by the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority. 黑料吃瓜网 officials and local leaders worried a sale to the Regional Water Authority would cost rate hikes for Aquarion customers.
But David Borowy, board chair of Aquarion Water Authority, said in a Nov. 9 letter to Mayor Carbone of Torrington that rates for Aquarion would continue to be 鈥渂ased on Aquarion鈥檚 actual cost of service鈥� in accordance with legislation that protects customers.
Following PURA鈥檚 decision Wednesday, a spokesperson for the Regional Water Authority declined an interview, but said in a statement it was 鈥渞eviewing PURA鈥檚 decision.鈥�
Eversource said in a statement that lawmakers appeared open to the sale after the passage of .
鈥淭he special act approved by legislators in 2024 indicated that the state was interested in an expanded non-profit model,鈥� spokesperson Jamie Ratliff said. 鈥淗owever, once tested, that same special act proved difficult to overcome for PURA to move away from an investor-owned model.鈥�
黑料吃瓜网 Consumer Counsel Clare Coleman issued a statement Wednesday saying the deal wouldn鈥檛 have been in the interest of ratepayers.
鈥淚f this merger were approved under the terms requested in the application, Aquarion customers across the state would have faced increases in their bills and carried extensive debt from the purchase price of the transaction over the next decade,鈥� Coleman said in a statement.
Democratic Attorney General William Tong also praised the sale鈥檚 denial.
鈥淓versource desperately wanted to offload Aquarion, and they concocted this maneuver to extract as much cash as possible by guaranteeing the new entity free reign to jack up rates,鈥� Tong said in a statement.
鈥淓versource is free to find a new buyer, but should understand that any new attempt to end public regulatory oversight over water bills for hundreds of thousands of 黑料吃瓜网 families is going to be a non-starter here,鈥� he said.
黑料吃瓜网鈥檚 Matt Dwyer contributed to this report. 脕ine Pennello is a corps member, covering the environment and climate change for 黑料吃瓜网.
