SMALL BUSINESS IN THE NORTHEAST HOPING FOR MORE THAN JUST A PHOTO OP FROM ENERGY SUMMIT
(HARTFORD, CT) April 22, 2015: As policy makers from the Northeast are gearing up for a private roundtable organized by the Coalition of Northeastern Governors (CONEG), the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) is hoping that the energy summit will yield tangible results.
Connecticut small business owners have been struggling with energy price increases and a frustrating regulatory environment for years. We applaud the region’s governors for attempting to solve our infrastructure issues and reduce the financial burdens on our area’s small businesses,” said NFIB Connecticut State Director, Andrew Markowski “Governor Malloy has repeatedly expressed a desire to make our state’s energy prices more competitive in the free market and increase reliability and capacity. This is an opportunity to work in a bi-partisan manner to ensure that real change will be brought to both the business community and the residential users in Connecticut.”
Governor Baker stated yesterday that he was hoping to pursue a “combo platter” approach to solving the energy issues plaguing New England. His proposed solution includes increased supply of natural gas from Pennsylvania and hydro power from Canada while reducing the carbon footprint in the region.
“The environment is obviously a priority for everyone throughout New England. I am pleased that Governor Baker also understands that a primary focus should also be on increasing capacity and reliability thereby reducing cost pressures on homeowners and small business,” said NFIB Massachusetts State Director Bill Vernon. “After a particularly harsh winter, businesses found themselves reaching deep into their pockets to cover their energy costs. I look forward to the New England governors working and planning to avoid a repeat next winter.”
The region’s Governors first outlined a strategy for regional energy cooperation in a joint statement issued in December of 2013. Since then, little has changed in the region where the cost of energy has historically been a challenge due to the necessity of importing fuel. The widespread shift to natural gas from oil and coal by commercial and residential customers has also caused supply problems.
“Hurdles in procuring energy in states like Maine are certainly not new. This issue has now been bantered about for ad nauseam and the problem was only exacerbated by the weather over the past few months. We cannot wait another three years for our Governors to come up with a solution. The time to act is now,” stated Maine NFIB State Director, David Clough.
The New England grid consists of Maine, Vermont, Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Connecticut. Each of the state’s Governors are expected to attend tomorrow’s summit however it is unclear what, if any, policy decisions will be made.
“Vermonters face both the challenge of limited supply and difficulty with energy distribution. We look forward to a positive outcome of tomorrow’s summit that includes a multi-pronged approach to solving our energy crisis,” said NFIB Vermont State Director, Shawn Shouldice “Any time small business has the opportunity to save on things like energy costs, they are able to spend their hard earned dollars on employing additional people or improving their existing businesses. A reduction in spending on utilities will result in better business throughout the Northeast.”
