Lamont proposes $200 energy rebates for Connecticut residents
Gov. Ned Lamont proposes $500M program for $200-per-person energy rebates to help Connecticut residents offset high utility costs and inflation.
The one-time rebates would help offset what Lamont’s office called “persistent inflation, rising utility costs and the effects of on-again, off-again tariffs under President Donald Trump.”
Lamont outlined the election-year proposal last Thursday during a speech to the Connecticut Business & Industry Association’s annual economic summit. He plans to present detailed budget recommendations Wednesday when the General Assembly opens its 13-week session at the state Capitol in Hartford.
“The governor is just trying to figure out ways to help make things more affordable,” said Rob Blanchard, Lamont’s communications director.
Connecticut households and businesses pay among the highest electric rates in the continental United States. The state ranked fifth-highest for residential rates and fourth-highest overall in November, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
The rebate program would revise the $28.6 billion budget plan for fiscal year 2027, which starts July 1. Lawmakers adopted that spending plan last year as part of a two-year, $55.8 billion budget package.
High living costs will dominate the short legislative session and upcoming election campaigns. Electricity rates remain a persistent political issue, particularly in Fairfield County towns like Greenwich and Stamford where residents already face steep housing and transportation costs.
Lamont has not detailed income eligibility requirements or how the state would distribute the rebates. The proposal requires legislative approval, and Republican lawmakers typically scrutinize Democratic spending initiatives during budget negotiations.
The governor faces reelection this year, and affordability issues could prove decisive with voters along the Metro-North corridor who commute to New York City jobs while paying Connecticut’s high energy bills.
State budget surpluses in recent years have given Lamont flexibility to propose tax relief measures. The rebate program would tap into those reserves to provide direct relief rather than permanent rate reductions.
Legislative leaders have not commented on the proposal. Budget negotiations typically extend through the spring, with final votes expected before the session ends in June.