Penalty Amount
$3,000,000
Connecticut Attorney General and Consumer Counsel announced a $3 million settlement with electric supplier Public Power for failing to publish required 'next cycle rate' information, which denied consumers the opportunity to switch suppliers to avoid rate increases. As part of the settlement, Public Power and its sister companies must permanently exit the Connecticut market, and the funds will be used to pay down unpaid electric bills for hardship customers.
Public Power must pay a $3 million monetary penalty, permanently cease operations in Connecticut (a market ban), and the settlement funds will be used to provide debt relief for customers with unpaid electric bills.
In-house legal teams should review all electric supply agreements (both customer-facing supplier contracts and any intermediary/utility partnership agreements) for clauses governing rate disclosure, notice requirements for rate changes, and customer switching rights. Specific attention is needed on whether contracts mandate compliance with the Connecticut Public Utilities Regulatory Authority's (PURA) 'next cycle rate' publication rules. Teams should assess if existing clauses provide adequate remedies (e.g., termination rights, penalties) for failures to disclose required rate information. Agreements may need amendments to explicitly incorporate PURA's transparency requirements, establish clear audit rights, and include provisions addressing forced market exit and customer hardship fund contributions as seen in this settlement.
Entity
Public Power
Industry
OtherOn May 11, 2026, Connecticut Attorney General William Tong led a bipartisan coalition of 21 attorneys general in submitting a comment letter to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) urging the agency to abandon draft guidance that would ease approvals for flavored e-cigarette products. The coalition argues the guidance ignores evidence that flavored e-cigarettes disproportionately drive youth addiction and that FDA has failed to enforce existing authorization requirements for e-cigarette products. The letter references past tobacco and e-cigarette enforcement actions, including the 1998 tobacco master settlement agreement and the 2022 $438.5 million settlement with JUUL Labs.
Connecticut’s legislature passed House Bill 5312, creating new civil enforcement mechanisms for deepfake digital sexual assault, including unauthorized dissemination of synthetically created intimate images and AI-generated child pornography. The bill establishes a private right of action for victims and empowers the Connecticut Attorney General to pursue civil injunctions and penalties against abusers and platforms hosting illegal content. This builds on prior Connecticut laws criminalizing unauthorized intimate image dissemination.
Connecticut Attorney General William Tong praised final passage of House Bill 5312, which creates new civil enforcement mechanisms for deepfake digital sexual assault. The legislation allows the AG to pursue civil injunctions and penalties against platforms that disseminate illegal synthetic intimate images, including AI-generated child pornography, and establishes a private right of action for victims. The bill builds on prior Connecticut laws criminalizing unauthorized dissemination of intimate images.
$300K
Connecticut Attorney General William Tong announced a settlement with international trade platform Made-in-China to cease all U.S. sales of unlawful 'research grade' GLP-1 weight loss drugs following an investigation into direct sales to consumers without prescriptions or medical oversight. The settlement prohibits the platform from hosting GLP-1 sales to U.S. customers, requires a monitoring system to remove non-compliant listings, and imposes a $300,000 penalty suspended after an initial $30,000 payment. Additional settlements were announced with Radiance Medspa and Advanced Medical Weight Loss over compounded non-FDA approved GLP-1 drugs.
Connecticut Attorney General William Tong issued a statement on May 1, 2026, announcing the final passage of bipartisan legislation targeting youth social media addiction and artificial intelligence harms. The legislation imposes new obligations on social media companies regarding minor account settings, parental consent, and reporting, as well as requirements for AI chatbot operators and employers using automated decision tools. The statement also references ongoing enforcement actions against Meta and TikTok for allegedly designing addictive platform features for youth.
Connecticut Attorney General William Tong issued a statement on May 1, 2026, following final passage of bipartisan legislation to combat youth social media addiction and regulate artificial intelligence harms. The legislation imposes new requirements on social media companies regarding minor users, including parental consent for addictive algorithms, default privacy settings, and annual reporting obligations. It also establishes rules for AI chat bots and automated employment decision tools, including disclosure requirements and self-harm detection protocols.