The world class second taxing district electric company requires new customers to go to their office to open an account. In other news, from the Hour:

In August 2006, the Common Council formed the committee to explore whether Norwalk should create a public power authority and perhaps try to buy Manresa Power Plant to deliver electricity to residents.

Five months later, four firms answered the city’s request for qualifications — demonstrating their ability to perform a feasibility study — to the Department of Public Works.

On Thursday night, Director of Finance Thomas S. Hamilton, new staff person to the committee, gave an overview. Hamilton prefaced his remarks by saying he is skeptical of the concept of the city pursuing public power. For one, acquiring power lines and equipment from CL&P would be expensive, according to Hamilton.

At the same time, Hamilton said he reviewed the submissions by the four consulting firms, and concluded those submitted by Navigant Consulting, Inc., of Westbury, N.Y., and Energy and Resource Consulting Group, LLC, of Denver, were viable. Further, Hamilton said he spoke with representatives of the two firms.

“I come at it with a skeptical mind, but not having done an analysis, I’m fully in support of saying, ‘Let’s do an analysis,’” Hamilton said.

Hamilton said the city has $50,000 available for the feasibility study. A preliminary feasibility study, looking briefly at the legal, technical, engineering and financial aspects, would run $25,000 to $35,000, based upon discussions with the two consultants. A full-blown study would cost $150,000 to $200,000, Hamilton said.

Andrew T. Conroy asked fellow committee members to review all four consultants’ submissions.

“It’s a little bit too early to narrow it down to the two,” Conroy said.

Former mayor Bill Collins, who advanced the idea of creating public power for the city, asked committee members to review information published by the American Public Power Association.

The Norwalk Public Power Authority Committee, when formed, was assigned to address five issues: purchasing bulk power for residents, businesses and publicly owned facilities; control or acquisition of the distribution network, from substation to the consumer; power generation, including the possibility of acquiring the Manresa Island Power Plant; linking the 2nd and 3rd Taxing districts with the proposed public power authority; and linking with the Long Island Power Authority on cross-Sound electricity distribution.

According to Lindstrom and Michael K. Geake, also on the committee, the city need not focus on the costs of buying the CL&P equipment. Geake has proposed that the city first buy electricity through the Connecticut Municipal Electrical Energy Cooperative (CMEEC), as do the 2nd and 3rd Taxing districts.

Both districts run their own municipal electric companies.

“We have two great resources. We have the 3rd District and we have the 2nd District,” Geake said. “These are world-class power engineers. These guys know their business.”

source: The Hour, Public power pondered Committee to pursue feasibility of establishing Norwalk electricity authority, March 7, 2008