Saying that disputes related to her job had taken an “emotional toll” on her family, Connecticut’s top utility regulator announced her resignation Friday, effective Oct. 10.
The Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA) under Marissa Gillett faces multiple lawsuits from utility companies related to her leadership, and the resignation comes a day after House Minority Leader Vin Candelora (R-North Branford) requested an impeachment inquiry into whether Gillett lied to lawmakers at a February confirmation hearing.
At that hearing, Gillett said e-mails related to limits on when other commissioners can contact staff experts did not exist. The Hartford Courant reported this week that the e-mails do exist.
“Whatever she had told me back in February, the information that we’re garnering today… is indicating otherwise,” says Candelora. “So, that was my concern, that I do believe she may have provided misinformation.”
Candelora says the question of an impeachment inquiry is now moot, because Gillett is removing herself from the job.
Gov. Ned Lamont (D) says he did not ask for Gillett’s resignation, and that she’d been targeted by the utility companies for being tough on them.
“I’m gonna miss her as PURA chair,” said Lamont. “The utilities won’t, because she held them accountable. She knew her stuff. But, that said, there was a lot of incoming, a lot of noise, lawsuits and such.”
Candelora believes Connecticut needs less confrontation with utilities in the effort to keep electric rates down, saying, “There needs to be a partnership. There was a lot of adversarial relationships. We’ve been in court more than we’ve been in a room trying to come up with plans to reduce electric rates.”
Gillett was reconfirmed to her job by lawmakers after that contentious hearing in February. Senate Republicans boycotted the confirmation vote after, they say, Sen. John Fonfara (D-Hartford) was promised a seat on the PURA board in return for a “yes” vote.
Senate Minority Leader Stephen Harding (R-Brookfield) says, “We boycotted the vote on Chair Gillett’s re-nomination. That decision is looking better and better. We walked out of the Senate Chamber in a stark protest against the backroom deal involving a Democrat state senator and the governor that led to the vote. After we walked out, Chair Gillett was then approved by Democrats in a 21-0 vote. Senate Republicans had no choice but to walk out. We were and remain outraged about the blatant and awful quid pro quo deal between Gov. Lamont and top Democrats.”
In her resignation letter to Lamont, Gillett touted her accomplishments and wrote, “While I have never shied away from principled disagreement, the escalation of disputes into a cycle of lawsuits and press statements pulls attention and resources away from what matters most: keeping rates just and reasonable, improving service, and planning a resilient, reliable energy future. It has also exacted a real emotional toll both for me personally, as well as my family, and for my team. I did not make this decision lightly, but there is only so much that one individual can reasonably endure, or ask of their family, while doing their best to serve our state.”