SLATER / HARCKHAM CALL FOR IN-PERSON LOCAL HEARINGS ON NYSEG RATE HIKES

Assemblyman Matt Slater (R,C-Yorktown) and New York State Sen. Pete Harckham have called on the New York State Public Service Commission (PSC) to hold in-person hearings in their respective legislative districts on the proposed New York State Electric and Gas (NYSEG) rate hikes, which exceed 35% or about 10 times annual inflation.

“We respectfully request that the New York State Public Service Commission hold at least one and hopefully several in-person public hearings in northern Westchester and Putnam regarding the proposed electricity and natural gas rate increases,” the legislators said in a joint letter to Department of Public Service Chair & CEO Rory Christian. “An in-person hearing will ensure that all affected members of the public, including those without reliable internet access or lack the technological knowledge, have a fair opportunity to voice their concerns directly to the Commission.” 

The PSC has held two virtual hearings on the rate hikes, but the closest in-person hearing to Harckham and Slater’s legislative districts was in Oneonta. NYSEG serves about 90,000 customers in the two legislators’ districts, which include northern Westchester and parts of Putnam counties.

“To put it in perspective, the closest hearing in Oneonta was 154 miles away from those of us in the Hudson Valley who are directly affected by NYSEG’s proposed rate hikes. It’s disingenuous to claim the PSC is truly listening to ratepayers when our entire region has been excluded from the process. Cutting out an entire community is unacceptable,” said Slater. “The PSC refuses to face the people who will feel the impact of these hikes. It begs the question of why. Everyone in the Hudson Valley is feeling the pinch from rising costs—something has to give. The PSC owes it to our residents to show up and listen before approving any increase that will make it even harder for families to make ends meet. I appreciate Senator Harckham’s partnership in demanding accountability from NYSEG and the PSC.”

The legislators said that huge proposed increases, 35% for electricity and 39.4% for natural gas, come at a time when many households across their districts are struggling under the weight of growing inflation. 

“Families and individuals are still facing high costs for housing, food, healthcare, and other essentials,” Harckham and Slater said in their letter. “For many, any increase in utility rates represents not just an inconvenience, but a genuine hardship.” 

Additionally, they said that a recent report by Renewable Heat Now showed that NYSEG profits skyrocketed by 185% in the last 10 years, and just last year alone, the company recovered $387 million in profits. 

“This raises serious questions about the justification for additional rate hikes, particularly when weighed against the financial strain on customers,” the legislators said. “Ratepayers should not be asked to bear a greater burden while investor-owned utilities report record earnings.”