Hartford Business Journal
By Brad Kane
One of the state’s most energy efficient buildings has been denied millions of dollars in energy efficiency incentives for four years, the result of a fight between a prominent
Connecticut developer and United Illuminating with far-reaching impacts on Gov. Dannel P. Malloy’s energy policy.
The conflict revolves around whether submetered buildings are eligible for energy incentives administered by utilities.
Submetering is a concept heavily favored by Malloy— and made legal in the state this year by the General Assembly— as a way to make Connecticut more energy efficient. It allows multi-unit building owners to charge individual tenants for their own electricity and heating use, rather than all tenants paying the same flat fee for a building’s energy consumption.
UI has refused to pay developer Bruce Becker nearly $3.1 million in efficiency incentives because he wants to submeter his 360 State St. mixed-use, high rise in New Haven. UI feels submetering would disqualify Becker’s building from ratepayer-funded incentives. Becker disagrees with UI, and now the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority will rule on the dispute in the coming weeks. Click for full article.