On Monday, May 5, and Tuesday, May 6, a delegation of NEPPA members lobbied their Members of Congress and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) regarding recently introduced legislation, S. 2660/H.R. 5547, the Consumer Protection and Cost Accountability Act. The group included NEPPA's Legislative Committee Chairman Sharon Staz, General Manager, Kennebunk Light and Power District; Barbara Grimes, General Manager, Burlington Electric Department; Vin Cameron, General Manager, Reading Municipal Light Department; Tom Josie, General Manager, Shrewsbury's Electric Light Plant & Community Cable; Moe Scully, General Manager, Connecticut Municipal Electric Energy Cooperative; Jim Sullivan, Board Member, Norwich Public Utilities; Heather Kaufman, Resource Manager, New Hampshire Electric Cooperative; Pat Hyland, Executive Director, Northeast Public Power Association; and consultants from Morgan Meguire, Spiegel & McDiarmid and Duncan & Allen accompanied the group.
The group met with FERC Commissioners Wellinghoff, and Spitzer and staff to Commissioner's Kelliher, Moeller and Kelly to discuss the legislation. On the Hill, the group met with staff to Sens. Joseph Lieberman (D-CT) and Chris Dodd (D-CT) and Reps. John Larson (D-CT), Chris Shays (D-CT), Joseph Courtney (D-CT), Richard Neal (D-MA), John Tierney (D-MA), Mike Capuano (D-MA), James McGovern (D-MA), Stephen Lynch (D-MA), Ed Markey (D-MA) and Peter Welch (D-VT) to encourage support for S. 2660/H.R. 5547.
Both Reps. Welch and Courtney agreed to co-sponsor the legislation in the House.