Quick status of where our opposition stands:
4/23/25 MAJOR ANNOUNCEMENT The Connecticut Superior Court has ruled in favor of SCNETI, the Town of Fairfield, and our fellow co-plaintiffs in our appeal challenging the Connecticut Siting Council’s approval of United Illuminating’s transmission line project through Fairfield and Bridgeport. The court found that the CSC “exceeded its statutory authority and violated principles of fundamental fairness.” Central to this decision was the fact that the Siting Council approved a project located on an entirely different route from what was originally proposed, without proper notice or an opportunity for public input. While this ruling is a significant and hard-earned victory for our community, the road ahead remains uncertain until United Illuminating announces its next steps. We remain prepared and committed to protecting our property rights, environment, history, and public safety in whatever comes next. See the judge's memorandum for more details.
4/4/25 United Illuminating has begun outreach to coordinate with residents for permanent easements. The Town's official official message to abutters who are being contacted by UI (or their partner, Cornerstone) is as follows:
Even though the Town’s appeal is still pending in Superior Court, United Illuminating is in the process of designing the Fairfield to Congress Transmission Rebuild Project. UI and its right of way agent, Cornerstone, are now reaching out to residents to request that residents grant permanent easements to UI. Some residents on the north side of the MetroNorth corridor have received proposed “Option Agreements” from UI. Under the proposed Option Agreement, UI offers to pay the resident money in exchange for the resident granting to UI a permanent easement on the resident’s property. If you receive one of these requests, please know that you are under no obligation to agree to the terms and grant UI a permanent easement on your property. In fact, the Connecticut Siting Council has not yet approved any specific plan that identifies where United Illuminating may require easements in the future. If you receive these documents from UI, we encourage you to consult with your own attorney to fully understand the impact of the permanent easement on your property rights.
1/13/25 our Appeal hearing was held in New Britain Superior Court before the Honorable Judge Matthew Budzik. Arguments were presented by attorneys from SCNETI, the Town of Fairfield, the City of Bridgeport, Southport Congregational Church, and BJ's Wholesale. Judge Budzik has 120 to issue his decision and we are hopeful for a favorable outcome. See the 1/16/25 First Selectman's update for additional details about the hearing.
See Recent Updates page for more details