Fonfara scores a win with Senate Democratic caucus energy reveal.

State Senator John Fonfara (D-Hartford) has endured some serious buffeting by detractors determined to do him down since late last year. Forty years in Hartford politics requires adaptability and resilience. Fonfara showed it Tuesday afternoon.

The 25-member Senate Democratic caucus met to hear Fonfara present his energy plan and wow what can be a tough audience, especially to each other. Personal warmth is not a primary characteristic among members is not a characteristic of the caucus. Members protect their subject matter silos. Some members have been elected in the years since Fonfara left the spot he’d occupied for more than a decade as co-chair of the energy committee to become Senate co-chair of the legislature’s finance committee. They were not aware that Fonfara has long been the most conversant senator on energy issues.

Fonfara’s bill was a revelation for Democratic senators anxious to see something make progress during this long session that will redeem their campaign promises to provide electricity ratepayers relief.

Fonfara appears to have produced the goods. The Courant has the details in Ed Mahony’s story.

The Fonfara proposal takes some momentum into Thursday’s public hearing on it. His Wednesday unveiling will have left little time for the energy overmasters at regulator PURA to issue marching orders to mount a search and destroy mission on anything related to Fonfara.

The strange power ghostwriters at PURA exercise at the LOB may be thwarted by a plan that does something to placate unhappy ratepayers.

Published April 16, 2025.