As a Connecticut ratepayer, the ethical discussion around Sen. John Fonfara’s apparent unchecked appointment to the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA) should have people protesting in the street.

The newest federal administration has shown no opposition to appointing individuals with vested interests into powerful positions, ultimately benefiting their own profits over the citizens of this country. We cannot stand to let that precedent into Connecticut.

According to reports, one of PURA’s new appointments is slated to be filled by State Sen. John Fonfara, despite his history co-owning an electric firm with run-ins accruing measurable penalties from PURA. Wattafi (formerly Optik Energy) formally dissolved in 2023, but within his seven years in the electric industry, Fonfara’s firm managed to reach that $1 million mark in fees and late penalties against the agency.

Now, we are being forced to ask how a man whose company has accrued over $1 million in penalties from a state agency is now slated to serve as one of just five energy regulators under the commission.

The essence of PURA’s mission is accountability. But he refuses to take accountability himself,  dismissing Wattafi’s penalties  as “unjust” and “inappropriate?” If you are unable to see the justification in your own organization being held accountable, how are you to be trusted to justly hold others accountable for executing damaging penalties against state regulations?

To work for the agency that revoked the license of your defunct organization is disturbingly hypocritical, and leaves much room for concern about how Fonfara will perform in this role. How are Connecticut’s citizens to trust that his judgements are free of retaliatory bias?

Agencies in PURA’s sphere hold a privileged power over the state of our current climate crisis. To grant this privilege to someone who has no appreciation for its execution, minimizing the validity of its implementation upon oneself, is a foolish and damaging mistake.

Wattafi was penalized multiple years in a row for insufficiency in renewable energy measures (2018/2019).