The Connecticut Siting Council will hold a public comment session at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 18, on utility forecasts of electric loads and resources, with advance sign-up for speakers due by Nov. 17.
The session is held over Zoom, according to the council's public notice. People who want to speak by computer or phone must email siting.council@ct.gov with their name, email address and mailing address by Nov. 17, or leave a voicemail at 860-827-2935 with their name, telephone number and mailing address. Written statements may be filed with the council up to 30 days after the session.
The review covers the 2026 forecast reports filed by utilities and generators. State law requires electric transmission and distribution utilities and generators above 1 megawatt to file them by March 1, according to the council's Oct. 15 staff memo. The memo lists the draft forecast report date as to be determined.
Eversource's report says its electric energy use is expected to grow 0.9 percent a year and its summer peak demand 1.0 percent a year, weather-normalized, from 2026 through 2035. Its actual summer peak was 5,078 megawatts in 2025, up 12.3 percent from 4,521 megawatts in 2024; the weather-normalized 2025 peak was 4,879 megawatts. The reference-case forecast is 4,902 megawatts for 2026 and 5,367 megawatts for 2035. In an extreme-hot-weather scenario, the 2035 peak reaches 5,728 megawatts.
Eversource said the forecast includes added demand from electric vehicles and from large customers, and subtracts energy efficiency and solar. Heating electrification, such as cold-climate heat pumps, is included in energy use but not in the peak forecast, because the company said the peak occurs in July.
United Illuminating's report projects normal-weather peak load rising 11 percent from 2026 to 2035, or 0.8 percent a year. It attributes the increase primarily to expected electric vehicle adoption and heat pump conversions. Over 2016 to 2025, the company said, its normal-weather peak load fell 7.5 percent. UI described itself as currently a summer-peaking utility because of air conditioning.
UI's extreme-weather peak forecast rises 3.5 percent over the same period, or 0.28 percent a year.
The council's forecast page lists the filings from utilities and power generators. Zoom access instructions are posted on the council's calendar page.
