Cleanup of the long-abandoned English Station power plant in New Haven may take longer after the state’s Public Utilities Regulatory Authority removed financial penalties previously imposed on United Illuminating. The decision comes as the city is gathering community input on plans that could eventually transform the waterfront property into a public park and recreational space. English Station, a massive former power plant along the Mill River in the Fair Haven neighborhood, has sat vacant for decades and requires environmental remediation before redevelopment can move forward. New Haven Mayor Justin Elicker said PURA’s decision removes a key pressure point that had pushed United Illuminating to address contamination at the site. “The reality is, PURA by removing this fine, takes a lot of pressure off of UI because it’s a significant fine that UI was going to receive for many years,” Elicker said. A judge in 2023 ordered United Illuminating to pay a $2 million annual penalty for every year the company failed to clean up English Station. PURA has now withdrawn that penalty, saying it will instead reassess the company’s compliance during its next rate case. In its written decision, the authority said it wanted to ensure the costs associated with the penalties were not ultimately passed on to utility customers. The move drew criticism from Connecticut Attorney General William Tong, who said the decision undermines accountability. “PURA is now turning its back entirely on accountability for UI’s repeated failures to remediate dangerous contamination at English Station in New Haven,” Tong said in a statement.
PURA lifts fines against United Illuminating to remediate old English Station plant
