Powering Through Together: GPCT Launches Emergency Utility Assistance Fund Campaign
This winter brought an unprecedented level of need to our community. During our most recent application cycle for the Emergency Energy Assistance program, we received more than 3,800 requests for help—nearly exceeding the total number of applications from the past three cycles combined. Behind each application is a household doing its best to stay safe, stable, and warm.
Thanks to the strength of our programs and generosity of our supporters, we will assist many of these households. At the same time, the scale of need has reminded us just how essential community support is to ensure that no neighbor is left in the dark or the cold.
That’s why we have launched our Emergency Utility Assistance Campaign to support our assistance program. Hear from our Energy Assistance Program Specialist, Yda, on the powerful impact community support has for families in need.
This campaign is an opportunity for our entire community—neighbors, partners, and supporters—to come together in a meaningful way. Contributions will help extend the reach of our assistance, directly providing relief to households facing urgent utility challenges and helping prevent service disruptions during critical times.
For our clients: if you’ve applied for assistance, please know that our team is carefully reviewing every application and working diligently to support as many households as possible. We are committed to a thoughtful and thorough process, and we appreciate your patience as we work through the high volume of requests. All applications will receive a decision letter via email no later than April 30.
For our supporters: your generosity has always been at the heart of what makes our organization work. Today, your support can make an immediate and tangible difference by helping families maintain essential services and providing peace of mind during uncertain moments.
Together, we can respond to this moment with compassion and action. If you’re able, we invite you to give and help ensure that more households can keep their lights on and their homes safe.
Visit gpct.org/uaf to give today and learn more about the Utility Assistance Fund.
Lunch & Learn: Join CEO, Perkin Simpson, Shares His Insights on Energy Insecurity in CT
Join us on April 15 beginning at 11:30am for a special online Lunch & Learn with Generation Power CT CEO, Perkin Simpson. Hear an inside look at our Emergency Utility Assistance Campaign and what we’re seeing on the ground right now. With more than 3,800 families seeking help in our most recent application cycle, this session will offer donors and community partners a transparent, behind-the-scenes update on the urgent needs facing Connecticut households.
Perkin will discuss what’s driving the surge in applications and the real-time challenges families are experiencing. You’ll also learn how donor support is making a difference, where critical gaps remain, and have the chance to ask questions during an open Q&A.
Mark Your Calendars – GPCT Chosen for Shake Shack Donation Day!
Join us on Wednesday, April 15, for Donation Day at Shake Shack, located at 1445 New Britain Ave in West Hartford. From 10:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m., simply mention “Donation Day” with your order, and 25% of your total meal purchase will be donated to Generation Power CT.
Ordering online or at a kiosk? Use promo code DONATE on the Shake Shack app, website, or in-store kiosk to make your meal count. Enjoy great food and give back—all in one day!
GPCT Joins Contractor CMC at East Hartford Senior Center to Enroll Residents in Energy Efficiency Services
Our Community Research & Education Coordinator, Claire Lee, along with one of our contractor partners from CMC Energy Services, visited the East Hartford Senior Center to give a presentation on energy and cost-saving offerings through the Home Energy Solutions-Income EligibleSM program. Thank you to all who attended our session. Please keep an eye out for more events at the senior center!
Interested in applying for the Home Energy Solutions-Income Eligible program? Fill out our form to learn more!
Join GPCT and New England Smart Energy at East Hartford Public Library Pop-Up on April 14!
Come stop by our pop-up table at the Raymond Library to learn more about the resources and benefits offered through the Home Energy Solutions – Income Eligible program! We will be tabling throughout the day with our contractor partners from New England Smart Energy. Goodies will be provided for all visitors!
- Where: Raymond Library, 840 Main St, East Hartford
- When: Tuesday, April 14; 10am – 3pm
For more information about GPCT’s education and outreach campaign, please visit our website: GPCT.org/CPI
Questions? Contact Claire Lee, Project Coordinator at engagement@gpct.org
PURA Report to State Legislators Highlights GPCT’s Input on Medical Protection Policies
Since last August, GPCT’s Advocacy team has participated in a Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA) docket to examine Connecticut’s shutoff protection policies for medically vulnerable ratepayers. This March, PURA issued a PURA Report to the General Assembly Regarding the Evaluation of Medical Protection. The report compares Connecticut’s policies to those in similar states; evaluates the effects of increasing service terminations on our state budget; and recommends policy updates, based on these findings.
GPCT participated through technical meetings, written comments, presentations, and partnerships – sharing unique insights on our client experiences that PURA referenced in the report.
Throughout the proceeding, Generation Power CT shared perspectives from our partners, program staff, and medical professionals. Most importantly of all, we offered direct testimony from our clients, detailing their experiences with medical emergencies and unaffordable utility bills. We partnered with researchers at Yale University, to better understand how vulnerable residents and medical professionals experience Connecticut’s shutoff protection laws; they also provided input in the docket.
We joined technical meetings in December 2025 and January 2026; provided written comments in February 2026; and issued a final written correspondence incorporating GPCT’s community-based research in March 2026.
PURA’s final report recommends updating state statutes with more clear definitions; increasing access to the Matching Payment Program (MPP); and requiring payment plans for medically protected customers. A study developed by researchers at the Applied Economics Clinic, which informed PURA’s final report, finds:
“Introducing payment or financial hardship requirements to Connecticut shutoff protections might bring increased revenue to the utility, and subsequently reduce ratepayer burden from unpaid balances, but these changes may increase shutoff costs for utilities and will cost the State of Connecticut by way of increased need for social services. As vulnerable households experience the consequences of lost utility medical shutoff protection, whether through increased financial strain or service disconnection, they are more likely to turn to existing state-administered social services for support.”
Save the Date: Power and Purpose returns October 2026
Mark your calendar for October 30 and join us for the second annual Power and Purpose. Join us for a luncheon of insight, action, and inspiration. You’ll learn how the energy crisis is affecting residents across Connecticut, the progress being made towards solutions, and the steps GPCT is taking to create a more resilient and equitable energy future.
We are grateful to our donors, foundations, and corporate partners who help lessen the energy burden for Connecticut families. Find more details about becoming a sponsor for Power and Purpose at gpct.org/power-and-purpose.