State Council's 'Straw Vote' On Important Bridgeport Issue Goes In City's Favor

BRIDGEPORT, CT — In a non-binding "straw vote" on Thursday, the Connecticut Siting Council voted to deny the application by United Illuminating to construct tall monopoles that would carry high-voltage power lines through parts of Bridgeport and Fairfield, Bridgeport Mayor Joe Ganim announced.

The vote tally was four against the proposal, two in favor of it, and one abstention, which could be a harbinger of what an official vote might be.

"As Mayor of the City of Bridgeport, I am gratified that the Connecticut Siting Council today rejected United Illuminating’s application to place monopoles along the Metro North railroad," Ganim said in a statement. "The Siting Council appropriately heard the concerns of Bridgeport and Fairfield officials and residents, who were not heard when this proposal was originally filed in 2023.

"This means if United Illuminating wants to continue to pursue this project, UI will now have to meaningfully engage Bridgeport and Fairfield in a robust public process. This is what we have asked for all along.

"My thanks to City residents who spoke up to make their voices heard, to Attorney Lee Hoffman of Pullman & Comley and Bridgeport City Attorney Tyisha Toms who successfully represented our interests before the Siting Council and the Superior Court, and to the Bridgeport and Fairfield legislators who amplified our concerns and worked together throughout this process.

"I continue to demand that if this project is to be built, this project should be built underground. I remain ready and willing to negotiate in good faith with UI towards an acceptable below ground alternative proposal."

Read More:

• Huge Price Tag For Underground Transmission Line Project In Fairfield & Bridgeport: UI
• Fairfield, Bridgeport And State & Local Legislators Urge Dismissal Of UI Monopole Application
• Court Overturns Controversial Decision; Ruling Is A Victory For Fairfield And Bridgeport
• UI Responds To Mounting Opposition In Fairfield To Monopole Proposal

Fairfield First Selectman Bill Gerber was also pleased by Thursday's outcome and thanked the council, which was meeting following a remand order by Superior Court Judge Matthew Budzik to revisit the application.

"We are gratified that the Siting Council listened to the concerns of Fairfield residents, business owners, civic organizations, community leaders and State legislators," Gerber wrote. "We believe that, in this day and age, any utility company like United Illuminating must plan for the long term to develop technology and expertise to bury transmission lines underground in an efficient and cost-effective way. 'Undergrounding' will improve storm resiliency of the electric grid, increasing the conservation of land and improving economic sustainability. UI’s public statements to date regarding their astronomical cost estimates for undergrounding highlights that they have a long way to go in this regard and there is a massive undergrounding capabilities gap between them and other utilities in other states and countries where burying transmission lines is the norm."

In a statement to Patch, UI spokesperson Sarah Wall Fliotsos is reviewing the council's straw vote.

"UI is reviewing [Thursday's] Connecticut Siting Council meeting and their non-binding straw poll vote," Wall Fliotsos said. "We look forward to working with the Council to advance the reliability, resiliency, and affordability of the transmission system from Fairfield to Bridgeport."

UI originally sought to build the project between the Post Road and Metro-North train tracks, the south side of Metro-North, but then received approval from the council to build it north of the tracks, but without input from residents, businesses and officials from the two communities.

Budzik ruled that the council "'exceeded its statutory authority and violated principles of fundamental fairness' and remanded the matter back to the CSC 'for proceedings consistent with [the Court’s] memorandum of decision,'" according to Gerber.