Yesterday in Hartford, CT, the state House voted in favor of restructuring the electricity market in Connecticut. The Senate is up next but the opposition to the bill is stiff and it will be a tough battle to get the billed passed.

The argument to re-regulate is based on the assumption that if consumers return to the two utilities, they will see a more stable wholesale market and bills will be reduced by ~5% or more. Connecticut has been deregulated since 1998 but switching has been slow and the market has taken a long time to mature.

"This will put all customers back into the hands of the utilities." Albert Carbone, spokesman for United Illuminating Co., which has 324,000 customers in southwestern Connecticut, said the bill might reduce risk in acquiring power.

"If you eliminate retail choice for small customers it may reduce the risk, but we don't know by how much," Carbone said in a phone interview. "We've always said we wanted more flexibility in procurement process to get lower prices for our contracts."

Rep. Sean J. Williams, R-Watertown, ranking member of the Energy Committee, said during the House debate that without the support of Sen. John Fonfara, D-Hartford, the Senate co-chairman of the committee, the bill's chances are slim for passage before June 3, the end of the legislative session. Fonfara rejected the legislation in committee, so Nardello, with support from House leadership, offered it Wednesday as an amendment to a related bill. Backer, in an interview after he voted against the bill, said he is skeptical that it could create consumer savings.