The Pulse
Connecticut Asks PURA to Investigate Utilities’ AI Use
Connecticut Attorney General William Tong and Consumer Counsel Claire Coleman petitioned PURA on October 13 to review how public utilities use artificial intelligence. They want utilities to disclose AI systems, human oversight and cybersec
AI.info Team · Written with AI ·
Connecticut’s public utilities are using artificial intelligence, but state officials say they do not know where or how widely the systems operate. On October 13, Attorney General William Tong and Consumer Counsel Claire Coleman asked the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority to investigate that gap, examining both AI deployment and utilities’ data-security and cybersecurity practices.
Utilities use AI; its reach is unclear
The petition names six companies for review: Connecticut Light and Power, which does business as Eversource Energy; Connecticut Natural Gas; Connecticut Water; Southern Connecticut Gas; The United Illuminating Company; and Yankee Gas Services, also part of Eversource. The officials say Avangrid and Eversource have acknowledged AI use in public statements and online, but the extent of that use in Connecticut operations remains unclear. They also say PURA could include smaller water companies, with participation scaled to their size.
The request is a petition, not a finding that a utility has violated a rule or an order requiring a new review. Tong and Coleman ask PURA to open one or more proceedings, and say the work could be divided into phases to address AI, cybersecurity and data security as related but distinct topics. The filing points to an existing rate proceeding involving Eversource but argues that a broader examination across utilities is still needed.
“We need to know exactly where, why and how it is being deployed, and what safeguards are in place to ensure the security and stability of our critical energy systems and infrastructure,”
William Tong, Connecticut attorney general
The requested review spans grid operations and customer systems
The proposed inquiry would cover AI used in storm response, customer systems, asset management, energy-load and water-demand forecasting, and procurement of electricity, natural gas and water equipment. It would also examine operations and maintenance for the electric grid, power plants, water distribution and treatment systems, along with third-party vendors and advanced metering infrastructure.
For each company, the petition asks PURA to require an inventory of AI systems and their functions, the level of human oversight, and the policies and procedures governing their use. The officials also want PURA to examine security protections and breaches whether or not AI played a role. Their request includes how utilities notify affected entities and customer groups after a breach, and whether they review their practices afterward.
Efficiency gains weighed against safety and privacy
The petition does not argue that AI has no place in utility operations. Coleman says the technology could improve operations and efficiency and produce customer savings, but argues those gains should not come at the expense of safety, reliability or consumer protections. The requested review is intended to establish what systems utilities use and whether their safeguards meet industry standards.
Tong and Coleman ground their request in Connecticut statutes that assign PURA authority over utility operations and public safety. They also note that the state’s 2026 Artificial Intelligence Responsibility and Transparency Act addresses certain employment practices, but does not establish specific guardrails for utilities’ AI use. The filing asks PURA to use its existing regulatory authority to examine those systems and the security measures surrounding them.
PURA’s decision is the next step
For now, the petition lays out questions for the regulator rather than answers about individual systems or incidents. If PURA opens a proceeding, it could require utilities to report where AI is deployed, what it does, who oversees it and how the companies protect customer and operational data. Tong and Coleman ask the authority to review the companies named in the filing and consider including smaller water utilities.