Mass., RI a.g.'s oppose Conn. electricity tax

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — The attorneys general of Massachusetts and Rhode Island say a proposal by Connecticut Gov. Dannel P. Malloy to continue a tax on generating electricity will add to the burden of New England ratepayers. They've asked that it be scrapped.

Martha Coakley in Massachusetts and Rhode Island's Peter Kilmartin told Connecticut officials in a letter on Thursday that a 2011 study found that generators reaped a windfall as a result of higher prices caused by the tax. They say New England ratepayers were likely to pay about $58 million more to purchase electricity.

Coakley and Kilmartin say the region's relatively high electricity costs are a drag on the economy.

Malloy has proposed extending the tax another two years, raising about $70 million. Legislative leaders are not committing to any particular tax as budget-writing begins.