Hartford, CT – Connecticut leaders are racing to stop a new tariff they say could send electricity and gas prices through the roof.
A 10% tax on energy imports from Canada is about to hit, and state officials warn it will squeeze residents already dealing with high costs.
U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) stood outside the state capitol Monday, calling it a “tsunami” of price hikes. He and Consumer Counsel Claire Coleman are pushing federal regulators to step in before Connecticut families start feeling the heat.
The state leans heavily on Canadian energy, and Coleman says this tariff will make daily life more expensive with no clear benefit.
They have asked the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to stop the charge from taking effect.
Coleman is also pressuring the Treasury Department, arguing that even energy officials don’t seem to know who’s supposed to collect the tax.
ISO-New England, which runs the region’s power grid, has requested FERC’s approval to start charging, but Coleman insists there’s no proper system in place to enforce it.
Trump’s team has defended the tariffs, calling them a way to push American-made products.
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick argued Sunday that they would help U.S. businesses, saying foreign goods might cost more, but domestic ones would get cheaper.
Experts, however, say Connecticut won’t see any relief. The state buys from Canada because it’s closer, and hauling in energy from far-off U.S. producers would cost even more.
Mohammad Elahee, a professor at Quinnipiac University, said the reality is simple: higher transport costs mean higher bills.
For now, state officials are throwing every argument they can at Washington, hoping to block the tariff before it drains wallets.
