HARTFORD, CT – Marissa Gillett, chairwoman of the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority, has handed in her letter of resignation.
“Serving the people of Connecticut in this role has been the honor of my professional life,” Gillett said in her resignation letter. “While I have never shied away from principled disagreement, the escalation of disputes into a cycle of lawsuits and press statements pulls attention and resources away from what matters most: keeping rates just and reasonable, improving service, and planning a resilient, reliable energy future.”
Gillett in her letter said the job and the controversy surrounding it has “exacted a real emotional toll” on both her personal life, her family and her team. Her reappointment to the role earlier this year resulted in a walkout by Senate Republicans, who vehemently opposed her nomination.
“I did not make this decision lightly, but there is only so much that one individual can reasonably endure, or ask of their family, while doing their best to serve our state,” she said.
Gillett most recently came under fire after she revealed in court that she had deleted text messages related to an ongoing lawsuit challenging cuts to gas rates. The deletion, which her attorney said was due to an auto-delete feature on Gillett’s phone and not intentional, sparked concerns about her commitment to transparency.
Gov. Ned Lamont, who first appointed her to the board in 2019 and re-appointed her to another two-year term in June, said he received her resignation letter Friday.
“Marissa is one of the most experienced and qualified public utility regulators in the country,” Lamont said in a news release Friday. “On behalf of our state, I am appreciative of her public service and dedication to our state and its ratepayers.”
Gillett brought an outsider’s perspective and a fresh set of eyes to help advance Connecticut’s policy goals of bringing cheaper, cleaner and more reliable power to the people, Lamont said.
“At a time when we are working to manage the cost of energy, PURA has aided in those efforts,” Lamont said. “Among her accomplishments are instituting critically needed reforms and leading rigorous reviews into the distribution rates of five regulated utilities that led to rate reductions.”
Gillett said she is “deeply grateful” for the opportunities and the people she has met.
“I have every confidence that the staff, whom I admire so greatly, as well as my capable colleagues, will continue to champion the important reforms underway as the result of our work to enhance transparency and accountability for the regulated utilities in this state,” she said in her letter. “The ratepayers of this state, whom I have been so proud to serve, deserve nothing less.”
State Sen. Norm Needleman, D-Essex and Senate chair of the Energy and Technology Committee, said he is saddened to hear the news, but that “I am thankful for her work to save Connecticut ratepayers hundreds of millions of dollars.”
State Sen. Stephen Harding, R-Brookfield, who orchestrated the Senate walkout earlier this year over Gillett’s confirmation, said Friday that it appears Republicans did the right thing then but that questions remain now.
“Did the governor ask for her resignation?” Harding said. “He should set the record straight.”
Harding said the concerns from the Republicans were that the governor had brokered a “backroom deal” with Democrats.
PURA is a quasi-judicial agency that oversees and regulates all the state’s utilities, including electric and gas companies. Gillett’s resignation will be effective Oct. 10.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.