{"data":{"id":"us-ct/conn.-gen.-stat.-16-2a","jurisdiction":"us-ct","citation":"Conn. Gen. Stat. § 16-2a","heading":"Office of Consumer Counsel. Office of State Broadband. Consumer Counsel. Staff.","body":"(a) There shall be an independent Office of Consumer Counsel, within the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, for administrative purposes only, to act as the advocate for consumer interests in all matters which may affect consumers in the state with respect to public service companies, electric suppliers and certified telecommunications providers, including, but not limited to, rates and related issues, ratepayer-funded programs and matters concerning the reliability, maintenance, operations, infrastructure and quality of service of such companies, suppliers and providers. The Office of Consumer Counsel is authorized to appear in and participate in any regulatory or judicial proceedings, federal or state, in which such interests of consumers in the state may be involved, or in which matters affecting utility services rendered or to be rendered in this state may be involved. The Office of Consumer Counsel shall be a party to each contested case before the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority and shall participate in any such contested case to the extent the Office of Consumer Counsel deems necessary. The Office of Consumer Counsel may appeal from a decision, order or authorization in any such state regulatory proceeding regardless of whether the Office of Consumer Counsel appeared or participated in such proceeding.\n(b) Except as prohibited by the provisions of section 4-181, the Office of Consumer Counsel shall have access to the records of the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority and shall be entitled to call upon the assistance of the authority's and the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection's experts, and shall have the benefit of all other facilities or information of the authority or the department in carrying out the duties of the Office of Consumer Counsel, except for such internal documents, information or data that are not available to parties to the authority's proceedings. The department shall provide such space as necessary within the department's quarters for the operation of the Office of Consumer Counsel, and the department shall be empowered to set regulations providing for adequate compensation for the provision of such office space.\n(c) There is established an Office of State Broadband within the Office of Consumer Counsel. The Office of State Broadband shall work to facilitate the availability of broadband access to every resident of the state and to increase access to and the adoption of ultra-high-speed gigabit capable broadband networks. The Office of Consumer Counsel may work in collaboration with public and nonprofit entities and state agencies, and may provide advisory assistance to municipalities, local authorities and private corporations for the purpose of maximizing opportunities for the expansion of broadband access in the state and fostering innovative approaches to broadband in the state, including the procurement of grants for such purpose. The Office of State Broadband shall include a Broadband Policy Coordinator and such other staff as the Consumer Counsel deems necessary to perform the duties of the Office of State Broadband.\n(d) The Office of Consumer Counsel shall be under the direction of the Consumer Counsel, who shall be appointed by the Governor with the advice and consent of either house of the General Assembly. The Consumer Counsel shall be an elector of this state and shall have demonstrated a strong commitment and involvement in efforts to safeguard the rights of the public. The Consumer Counsel shall serve for a term of five years unless removed pursuant to section 16-5. The salary of the Consumer Counsel shall be equal to that established for management pay plan salary group seventy-one by the Commissioner of Administrative Services. No Consumer Counsel shall, for a period of one year following the termination of service as Consumer Counsel, accept employment by a public service company, a certified telecommunications provider or an electric supplier. No Consumer Counsel who is also an attorney shall, in any capacity, appear or participate in any matter, or accept any compensation regarding a matter, before the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority, for a period of one year following the termination of service as Consumer Counsel.\n(e) The Consumer Counsel shall hire such staff as necessary to perform the duties of the Office of Consumer Counsel and may retain from time to time outside consultants knowledgeable in utilities regulation, including, but not limited to, economists, capital cost experts, rate design experts and engineers. The salaries and qualifications of the staff so hired shall be determined by the Commissioner of Administrative Services pursuant to section 4-40.\n(f) Nothing in this section shall be construed to prevent any party interested in such proceeding or action from appearing in person or from being represented by counsel therein.\n(g) As used in this section, “consumer” means any person or municipality, as defined in section 7-148, that receives service from any public service company, electric supplier or from any certified telecommunications provider in this state whether or not such person or municipality is financially responsible for such service.\n(h) The Office of Consumer Counsel shall not be required to post a bond as a condition to presenting an appeal from any state regulatory decision, order or authorization.\n(i) The expenses of the Office of Consumer Counsel shall be assessed in accordance with the provisions of section 16-49.\n(j) Any proprietary commercial and proprietary financial information of a holding company or subsidiary provided to the Office of Consumer Counsel pursuant to subsection (c) of section 16-8c shall be confidential and protected by the Office of Consumer Counsel, in accordance with the provisions of chapter 14. No employee of the Office of Consumer Counsel shall wilfully and knowingly disclose, for pecuniary gain, to any other person, confidential information acquired by such employee in the course of and by reason of such employee's official duties or employment or use any such information for the purpose of pecuniary gain.","path":["TITLE 16. PUBLIC SERVICE COMPANIES","CHAPTER 277. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION. PUBLIC UTILITIES REGULATORY AUTHORITY. OFFICE OF CONSUMER COUNSEL. MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS"],"source_url":"https://www.cga.ct.gov/2026/sup/chap_277.htm#sec_16-2a","current_through":"Revised to January 1, 2026 (2026 Supplement to the General Statutes of Connecticut, applied over the base revision of January 1, 2025)","vintage":"","retrieved_at":"2026-09-06T19:07:22Z","sha256":"505d5eb484f2e0d85c31663e9085b220c58b3e3001ddf6d37ab26e1e3164f776","source_id":"us-ct","stale":false,"prev":"us-ct/conn.-gen.-stat.-16-2","next":"us-ct/conn.-gen.-stat.-16-2b"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}