Lawmakers Want To Restore Energy Efficiency Funds, But Don’t Know Where To Find The Money
Hartford Courant, February 13, 2018
Connecticut energy contractors and a bipartisan group of lawmakers called Tuesday for restoration of $175 million in state energy efficiency program funding that was taken by the General Assembly to help solve a massive budget deficit.
But the same lawmakers who said they regret voting to take away the energy conservation money admitted they don’t know where they could find funding to restore those programs at a time when the state remains in deep fiscal trouble.
“There are no easy answers here,” said Rep. Lonnie Reed, D-Branford, who is also a co-chair of the legislature’s Energy and Technology Committee. “It’s going to be a ten-year job to fix this… It’s going to be painful.”
Rep. Jonathan Steinberg, D-Westport, said he doubts the legislature will be able to restore all $175 million in energy funding that was “swept up” by the two-year budget passed after nine months of debate.
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