CT Municipal Electric Energy Cooperative CMEEC

MINUTES OF THE REGULAR HYBRID MEETING OF THE JOINT LEGISLATIVE AND GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS COMMITTEE OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF CONNECTICUT MUNICIPAL ELECTRIC ENERGY COOPERATIVE AND CONNECTICUT TRANSMISSION MUNICIPAL ELECTRIC ENERGY COOPERATIVE June 10, 2025 A Regular Hybrid Meeting of the Joint Legislative and Governmental Affairs Committee of the Board of Directors of Connecticut Municipal Electric Energy Cooperative (“CMEEC”) and Connecticut Transmission Municipal Electric Energy Cooperative (“CTMEEC” dba “Transco”) was held in person at 30 Stott Avenue, Norwich, CT and via Zoom on Tuesday, June 10, 2025 at 1:00 p.m. The meeting was legally noticed in compliance with Connecticut General Statutes and all proceedings and all actions thereafter recorded occurred during the publicly open portions of the meeting. The following Committee Members participated via Zoom: Bozrah Light & Power: Scott Barber East Norwalk, Third Taxing District: Michele Sweeney East Norwalk Municipal Representative: Pete Johnson Groton Utilities: Jeff Godley Groton Municipal Representative: Mark Oefinger Jewett City Department of Public Utilities: Louis Demicco Jewett City Municipal Representative: George Kennedy Norwich Public Utilities: Chris Riley (NPU Non-BOD Member) Norwich Municipal Representative: David Eggleston The following Non-Voting Members participated via Zoom: Bozrah Light & Power: William Ballinger Groton Utilities: Ronald Gaudet Jewett City Department of Public Utilities: Elier Alvarado Norwich Public Utilities: Chris LaRose, Bob Staley South Norwalk Electric & Water: Alan Huth, David Westmoreland The following CMEEC Staff participated in person unless otherwise noted: Lauren Gaudet, CMEEC Administrative & Sustainability Specialist Margaret Job, CMEEC Director of Administrative Services Pat Meek, CMEEC Director of Finance & Accounting Dave Meisinger, CMEEC CEO Heidi Winnick, CMEEC Financial & Treasury Analyst (via Zoom) Others participated via Zoom: Timothy Shea, BrownRudnick David Silverstone, Esquire, Municipal Electric Consumer Advocate Ms. Gaudet recorded. Committee Chair Louis Demicco called the meeting to order at 1:00 p.m. noting for the record that today’s meeting is being held in person at 30 Stott Avenue, Norwich, CT and via Zoom. Committee Chair Demicco reminded participants to keep their devices on mute unless speaking to eliminate background noise and to state their names when speaking for clarity of the record. Specific Agenda Item A Public Comment Period No public comment was made. B Roll Call Ms. Gaudet conducted roll call. Committee Chair Demicco confirmed a quorum of the Committee was present. C Approve the Minutes of the January 7, 2025 Regular Hybrid Meeting of the Joint Legislative & Governmental Affairs Committee A motion was made by Committee Member Oefinger, seconded by Committee Member Barber to Approve the Minutes of the January 7, 2025 Regular Hybrid Meeting of the Joint Legislative & Governmental Affairs Committee. Motion passed unanimously. D Connecticut General Assembly Update: Timothy Shea, BrownRudnick Mr. Shea walked the Committee through the BrownRudnick slide deck highlighting the results of the 2025 Legislative Session that was shared in advance of the present meeting. He explained that the 2025 Legislative Session of the Connecticut General Assembly closed on June 4, 2025. Mr. Shea noted that, as is typical in odd-numbered years, this legislative session was dominated by discussion of the 2026 – 2027 biennial state budget. He remarked that the Governor’s Biennial Budget that was proposed in February was very similar to the final budget that passed in June. Mr. Shea stated that the final negotiated budget totaled $27.2 billion for Financial Year (FY) 2026 and $28.6 billion for FY 2027. He explained that the final budget passed largely along party lines, remained within the spending cap, and did not contain any additional taxes. Mr. Shea then highlighted Senate Bill 1560 and Senate Bill 4 as two large energy bills from this session that will impact CMEEC and its Member Electric Utilities (MEUs). Mr. Shea explained that Senate Bill 1560, An Act Concerning Connecticut’s Economy, Electricity Affordability and Business Competitiveness and Establishing the Connecticut Energy Procurement Authority and the Green Bond Fund, proposed, among other things, to establish the Connecticut Energy Procurement Authority (CEPA), implement time-of- use pricing, mandate statewide smart meter adoption by 2027, create the Green Bond Fund, launch the Electric Rate Stabilization Fund, and establish the Energy Infrastructure Transition Fund. He further explained that the Green Bond Fund would be replacing the System Benefit Charge. Mr. Shea noted that CMEEC had served as an informational resource for Senator Fonfara and the Legislative Reference Bureau during this legislative session and had played a helpful role in providing some background information about how CMEEC conducts aspects of its business as well as some of the results of CMEEC operations. Mr. Shea explained that while Senate Bill 1560 did not pass, some of its concepts were reflected in Senate Bill 4. Mr. Shea next guided the Committee through Senate Bill 4, An Act Concerning Energy Affordability, Access, and Accountability, which was the “omnibus” energy bill during this legislative session that did ultimately pass and become law. He explained that the bill made substantive changes to PURA, the Public Benefits Charge, and aspects of how Electric Distribution Companies procure power for standard service customers. Mr. Shea noted that $125 million per year in bonding was approved for FY 2026 and FY 2027 for EDC customer hardship protections, adding that CMEEC lobbied for a share, based on load, of these bonds so that municipal electric and tribal electric utility ratepayers would not be required, as taxpayers, to pay a portion of the cost of EDC hardship protection programs in addition to paying, as ratepayers, the full cost of their own similar programs.  Finally, Mr. Meisinger explained that earlier in the session, CMEEC explored the possibility of eliminating or modifying the Municipal Electric Consumer Advocate (MECA) position requirements that were added to the state statutes in 2017. He shared that he, Mr. Shea, and Mr. Silverstone have been engaging with key stakeholders on this prospect and that they currently anticipate that legislation may be amended during the 2026 or 2027 state legislative sessions to permit the MECA role to remain vacant beginning in 2028 and until the Office of the Consumer Counsel deems it necessary to fill the position. Mr. Silverstone expressed his support for Mr. Meisinger’s summary of the situation. Robust discussion followed. E New Business There was no new business. F Adjourn A motion was made by Committee Member Oefinger, seconded by Committee Member Godley to adjourn. Motion passed unanimously. The meeting was adjourned at 1:40 p.m.