The Connecticut Siting Council is expected to formally deny United Illuminating’s proposal to install overhead monopoles to the south of the Metro North train tracks in Fairfield and Bridgeport at a future meeting when it will draft a denial and require a revised application
On Thursday, a siting council straw vote resulted in four votes to deny the application, two votes to approve and one abstention.
“We are gratified that the council listened to the concerns of Fairfield residents, business owners, civic organizations, community leaders and state legislators,” said Fairfield First Selectman Bill Gerber. “We believe that any utility company like United Illuminating must plan for the long term to develop technology and expertise to bury transmission lines underground in an efficient and cost-effective way.
“‘Undergrounding’ will improve storm resiliency of the electric grid, increasing the conservation of land and improving economic sustainability. UI’s public statements to date regarding their astronomical cost estimates for under-grounding highlight that they have a long way to go in this regard, and there is a massive under-grounding capabilities gap between them and other utilities in other states and countries where burying transmission lines is the norm,” Gerber said.
UI spokesperson Sarah Wall Fliotsos said the company is reviewing what it refers to as “the non-binding straw poll vote.”
“We look forward to working with the council to advance the reliability, resiliency, and affordability of the transmission system from Fairfield to Bridgeport,” said Fliotsos.
On June 10, the legislative delegations for Fairfield and Bridgeport filed a letter with the siting council, endorsing the position of Fairfield, Bridgeport, and the intervenors. That letter was signed by state representatives Jennifer Leeper, Cristin McCarthy Vahey, Sarah Keitt, Steve Stafstrom, Fred Gee, Marcus Brown, Christopher Rosario, and Antonio Felipe; and state senators Tony Hwang, Sujata Gadkar-Wilcox and Herron Gaston.
“This is a major victory for the people of Fairfield, Bridgeport, and every community that stood together to oppose a harmful, unnecessary project,” said Hwang. “The people spoke — clearly, persistently, and passionately, and this time, the siting council listened.”
On June 6, attorneys for the Town of Fairfield, City of Bridgeport and intervenors BJ’s Wholesale Club Inc., the Southport Congregational Church and the Sasco Creek Neighbors Environmental Trust filed a public letter with Melanie Bachman, executive director of the siting council, urging the siting council to dismiss UI’s application.
“This decision affirms the power of civic engagement,” said Hwang. “Full credit belongs to the community. We stood together, not as partisans, but as neighbors to demand better. And as UI prepares its next steps, I urge everyone to stay engaged. Your voices made the difference, and they will again.”
UI’s proposed project on the south side of the Metro-North Railroad tracks would have required more than 19 acres of permanent easements from homes, businesses, churches, historic properties, and the towns themselves, said Gerber.
“But instead of approving or denying that application, the siting council took an unprecedented step: It approved a completely different project on the north side of the tracks — one that UI never designed or submitted,” he said. “This alternative route posed similar impacts but with no opportunity for affected property owners to weigh in.”
Superior Court Judge Matthew Budzik, in his ruling, had reversed the siting council’s decision to approve overhead monopoles north of the Metro North train tracks. Thus, the straw vote on June 12 was about the siting council reconsidering the original plan to install monopoles on the south side. As Judge Budzik said, the siting council “exceeded its statutory authority and violated principles of fundamental fairness” when it created a north side plan and then awarded UI a certificate based on that.
