Connecticut judge rejects electric company's rate hike request

A Connecticut judge has upheld the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority's (PURA) decision to deny most of United Illuminating's request for a $131 million rate increase. The judge found substantial evidence supporting PURA's approval of a $23 million increase instead. The ruling remands two minor issues back to PURA but largely dismisses United Illuminating's claims of unfair treatment. The judge criticized the company's legal arguments as unclear, complicating the court's review. PURA has been increasing scrutiny on utility costs, linking rates to performance. United Illuminating has faced penalties for customer service issues and failure to remediate a contaminated site, impacting its financial standing and future rate requests.