UI Responds to Attorney General Tong’s Misleading Statement

ORANGE, Conn. — December 5, 2023 — United Illuminating, a subsidiary of Avangrid (NYSE: AGR), today issued the following response to Attorney General William Tong’s statement on the company’s application for an interim rate request.

“We are compelled to remind Attorney General Tong that United Illuminating had no choice but to file an interim rate request due to PURA’s unusual and illegal order that slashed the company’s revenue, thereby jeopardizing the top-tier grid reliability and resiliency our customers expect and deserve. Instead of engaging with us to correct the many legal errors in PURA’s August decision, Attorney General Tong chose to continue his irresponsible smear campaign by accusing us of a ‘bad faith maneuver’ in filing an interim rate request. In reality, as our service increasingly risks degradation, our emergency request seeks to achieve adequate rates that allow us to attract investment, protect our employees, and shield customers from potential rate fluctuations when, as we expect, the court restores proper rates retroactively following the eventual conclusion of our appeal.

Without any thoughtful analysis of UI’s 133-page filing that includes verified factual data and expert testimony, the Attorney General has instead pre-judged the case.  The Connecticut legislature has established the law for interim or temporary rates, and PURA and the courts will judge whether UI meets the standard — not the Attorney General. We welcome the Attorney General’s participation in our application, but respectfully request he refrain from casting dispersions and unsupported allegations. This is not the behavior of Connecticut’s legal counsel who holds a position of trust and responsibility that requires adherence to the highest ethical standards.

We share the same goals as Attorney General Tong for a safe and reliable grid, and we are committed to working with PURA, the courts, and all other appropriate bodies to ensure we have the resources to do so. Now is the time to move past political statements and towards real solutions for our customers.”
 

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