Submitted by Joe O’Leary, Senate Democrats Press Representative.
(Feb. 1, 2022) — Today, State Senator Norm Needleman (D-Essex) celebrated the news that the AARP named him its 2021 Affordable Utilities Champion. The award was bestowed upon Sen. Needleman in recognition of his work on the General Assembly’s Energy & Technology Committee in fighting for the average ratepayer. Among other recent successes, Sen. Needleman was able to spearhead the passage of the Take Back Our Grid Act, which added new regulations and customer-benefitting practices to state energy practices after the destructive damage of Tropical Storm Isaias in 2020 caused power outages of more than a week in parts of the state.
“It is an honor to receive this award from the AARP, which to me is a reminder that there is always more to do to make utilities more affordable in Connecticut,” said Sen. Needleman. “In my work on the Energy & Technology Committee, I’m aware I’m representing millions of state residents and I want to make sure they are getting high-quality service for an affordable price, a goal that is more important now than ever before.”
“AARP thanks Senator Needleman for his leadership on the Energy and Technology Committee,” said AARP Connecticut State Director Nora Duncan. “His efforts have ensured that electric ratepayers are better protected from the unscrupulous practices of bad actors in the third-party electric supplier market and from unwarranted rate increases from our utilities.”
