Governor M. Jodi Rell has announced she has nominated state Representative Kevin M. DelGobbo of Naugatuck to be a Commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Public Utility Control.
DelGobbo (R-70), 44, has served in the state House of Representatives since 1997 and is the ranking Republican on the Appropriations Committee. He also serves on the Energy & Technology and Public Safety committees.
"Kevin brings an enthusiasm and – importantly – a tremendous understanding of Connecticut’s energy needs to the Department of Public Utility Control," Governor Rell said. "I have had the pleasure of working with him for many years on these kinds of issues and I know he really does ‘get it.’ He ‘gets it’ when it comes to the ability of our working families to pay the expenses of heating and lighting a home. And he ‘gets’ the intricate connections that underlie the issues – the economic and social reasons why we must ensure now that our state has an adequate power supply for the 21st century."
DelGobbo, who was named Lawmaker of the Year in 2008 by the Connecticut Association of Nonprofits, the Connecticut Association for Home Care & Hospice and the Connecticut Water Works Association, has been heavily involved in legislation dealing with energy and telecommunications issues.
Governor Rell included DelGobbo among the advisors who helped her draw up her Connecticut Energy Vision for a Cleaner, Greener State, a comprehensive strategy first announced in 2006. The Energy Vision outlines specific steps and goals for energy planning, including adding renewable electric generating capacity and increasing production and use of biofuels in transportation motor fuels.
DelGobbo also helped write the Energy Independence Act of 2005, which was intended to reduce energy costs and encourage conservation as well as spur greater development of "distributed generation" – small power plants, often supplying a single industrial or commercial site such as a factory, that can add their power-making capacity to the grid when demand is at its highest.
The DPUC regulates the rates and services of Connecticut’s investor-owned electric, natural gas, water and telecommunication companies and is the franchising authority for the state’s cable television companies.
In wholly regulated utilities such as gas and water service, the DPUC must balance the public’s right to safe and reliable service at reasonable rates with the provider’s right to a reasonable profit on its investment.
When it comes to competitive services such as telecommunications, the DPUC’s job is to ensure fairness among the competitors so customers reap the price and quality benefits of competition and are protected from unfair business practices.
DelGobbo, who was re-elected to a seventh term in November, will not take the oath of office as a legislator in January. His nomination to the DPUC is to the position reserved for a utility customer advocate.
"As a lawmaker Kevin has spent more than a decade advocating on behalf of his constituents," Governor Rell said. "He understands very well the constraints they face, especially when it comes to the costs of basics like heat and lights. His focus, like mine, will be on increasing our generating capacity and increasing our transmission capacity, while balancing the costs with the abilities of people to pay."