Subsecretary outlines energy-affordability and utility-reform proposals to curb rising bills

The department’s subsecretary (introduced in the meeting as "subsecretário Jorge") presented a package of proposals intended to reduce household energy bills and improve oversight of utilities.

He told the council the largest drivers of recent price increases are aging transmission and distribution systems and higher input costs, and said the legislation would tackle those drivers through a combination of infrastructure planning, program consolidation and market reform. "When we look at what is driving costs, transmission and distribution infrastructure are the primary cost factors," he said.

Why it matters: the subsecretary said the package aims to stabilize customer bills by reducing unnecessary infrastructure spending, expanding energy-efficiency programs and bringing more clean energy onto the grid. He cited an aggregate savings figure from earlier initiatives—about $1.9 billion over the last 10 years—as evidence that programs can reduce consumption and costs.

Key elements described included reforming net-metering rules, phasing changes to portfolio standards to limit costs passed to customers, and creating clearer licensing and consumer-protection standards for competitive retail suppliers. The presenter urged the Department of Public Utilities (DPU) to have stronger authority to penalize predatory practices and to require more transparency in contracts and renewals.

The subsecretary also proposed targeted pilots and financing tools: enabling large customers (for example, hospitals and colleges) to invest in geothermal or microgrid installations without shifting upfront costs to other customers; permitting nonprofit financing and longer-term recovery of infrastructure investments so that payments align with the long-lived benefits of efficiency measures.

On clean energy supply, he said the state has added thousands of megawatts of clean generation through long-term contracts and that reforming procurement and access could accelerate additional capacity. He noted federal and market events have delayed some projects but said the policy direction is to diversify supply and support distributed resources.

Questions and follow-ups from members focused on municipal light plants and competitive suppliers. The subsecretary acknowledged limits on the state’s authority over existing long-term contracts but said municipalities could participate through state partnerships or joint procurements where allowed.

Next steps: the presenter said committees are reviewing the bill language and that additional changes will be discussed in January and through legislative review. Council members suggested continued engagement and requested that staff provide options ahead of future committee deliberations.

The presentation text and Q&A were provided during the meeting; the department indicated slides and a recording will be posted on its website.