State lawmakers grilled Connecticut’s top utility regulator for more than six hours on Thursday, before recommending her for another four-year term.

Public Utilities Regulatory Authority chair Marissa Gillett faced heated questions over high electricity bills – and accusations that she is abusing her authority.

Some lawmakers also blasted a last-minute deal to save Gillett’s job.

Just 24 hours earlier, the PURA chair’s future was uncertain. But a late-night agreement between Gov. Ned Lamont and fellow Democrats assured that she would get reconfirmed.

That didn’t stop a key panel from grilling Gillett for hours.

“People are telling us that they’re suffering,” said state Sen. Eric Berthel (R-Watertown). “They are truly having to make a decision between paying their utility bill and paying something else.”

Gillett has aggressively rejected rate hikes, but said most of the cost of electricity is beyond PURA’s control.

That includes the Public Benefits charge that spiked dramatically last summer. Gillett noted that 77% of the hike was due to the Millstone Nuclear Plant, which lawmakers signed a 10-year purchase agreement with in 2017.

The rest of the Public Benefits charge includes fees for renewable energy, electric vehicle chargers and low-income energy assistance – all approved by lawmakers.

“Public Benefits is the portion that is tied to, I think, 56 or 57 different components of legislation that has been passed by this body over the past two to three decades,” she told the Executive and Legislative Nominations Committee.

Republicans are pushing to remove most Public Benefits items from customers’ bills.

Gillett said that’s up to the General Assembly – not PURA.

“I don't think there’s an easy answer here, and I think it may be a line-by-line answer,” she said.

On Wednesday, United Illuminating filed for a $30.1 million increase in Public Benefits charges.

Under Gillett’s watch, regulators and utilities have engaged in a nasty public battle.

“It’s not just my work and integrity that has been questioned here, it is the work product of almost 80 staff who have committed their lives to public service,” she said.

Eversource and UI recently sued PURA, accusing Gillett of abusing her power and making decisions without PURA’s other two commissioners.

Gillett forcefully denied the accusation.

“All decisional staff and commissioners at PURA meet once per month – in-person,” she said. “It usually takes several hours, and we go through every single open docket.”

Lawmakers also questioned whether Gillett can be impartial, after text messages surfaced between her and a top state lawmaker.

Critics expressed doubts about whether Gillett can improve relations with power companies.

"It feels like there's a level of arbitrariness,” said Connecticut House GOP leader Vin Candelora (R-North Branford), a vocal critic. “Regardless of what is happening here, we have just seen a consistent increase, which only serves to begin the finger-pointing and the scapegoating.”

Lamont has been a steadfast supporter of Gillett, who he first nominated six years ago.

“She’s standing up for the consumer,” he said on Tuesday. “She knows what she’s doing; she comes out of regulation. I know the utilities don’t like her because she holds them accountable.”

To keep Gillett, Lamont agreed to expand PURA from three to five commissioners and move it out of the executive branch. The deal is expected to place state Sen. John Fonfara (D-Hartford), a key swing vote on Thursday, on the PURA board.

One top Republican called it a “back-room deal.”

“What was done in the dark of night, in the 11th hour, to get certain people to vote yes today, presumably, is one of the worst things I've seen in politics in this building,” said Senate GOP leader Stephen Harding (R-Brookfield).

Gillett still faces a confirmation vote before the full General Assembly.

Meantime, some relief could be on the way for electric customers. On Thursday, New York state approved more natural gas coming into Connecticut. That could lower electric rates, but not right away.