To the Editor:
I’d like the chance respond to my state representative, Nick Gauthier, and to the 2025 Democrat Constituent Survey that I received in my mailbox the other day.
I see you are trying to address the extremely high cost of electricity in this state, which is laudable, even if through the world view of a Socialist-Marxist. Instead of having the state take over utilities, why not invite private companies to come and build a new, modern SMR nuclear power plant on the old site where Connecticut Yankee was and collaborate with Millstone to build a new, modern AP1000 nuclear power plant at the site of Millstone unit 1?
Those sites are already approved by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission AND the current administration is already in an effort to greatly reduce the “red tape” in the application and permitting process to build new nuclear power plants. In this way Connecticut would be poised to attract tech companies looking to build data centers in support of AI. If it happens that Connecticut doesn’t manage to attract such companies, at least our electric rate would be lower, we would have more power from baseload production that is clean for the environment, is very long lasting, and would not be subject to the market fluctuations of hydrocarbon fuels (such as natural gas).
Just for the record, I think the idea of municipal utilities is great, though lots of money given for ‘studying the structure’ of such isn’t of much benefit. We already have municipal utilities in the state, simply have a meeting and ask them for improvements – done. There are many municipal utilities around the country that work quite well. I hear that the Norwich electric utility works well and their electric power is significantly cheaper than in the Montville area, for example.
Overall, I would say that the answer isn’t to throw the baby out with the bathwater and go the socialist/communist route. The answer is to have meaningful regulation without strangulation and to enforce the regulation — that’s where government always falls down and then the socialists-Marxists come in with a ‘solution’ that involves Marxism.
Brian James
Uncasville, CT