Community, Electeds Oppose NYSEG Rate Hikes at Hearing
By ERIC SANTOMAURO-STENZELONEONTA
A bipartisan group of around 70 community members gathered at the SUNY Oneonta Morris Conference Center last Wednesday, October 15 at 1 p.m. to oppose proposed utility rate hikes by New York State Electric and Gas. It was one of several Public Service Commission hearings across Upstate New York. Administrative Law Judges Ashley Moreno and Tara Kersey presided over the hearing.
NYSEG is requesting a 35 percent increase in delivery revenues, or 18.4 percent total revenues, for the rate year ending April 30, 2027. According to the New York State Department of Public Service, the rate hike could lead to a “monthly bill increase of $33.12 (23.7 percent increase to total bill) for a typical residential customer using 600 kilowatt-hours (kWh).”All speakers, including several local public officials, opposed the proposed rate hikes. Many shared stories of already increasing electricity prices without an official hike, adding to other increases in cost of living. Some shared stories of sitting in the dark or using household appliances to stay warm to avoid spending more on electricity. Many panned NYSEG—a subsidiary of Avangrid Inc., which is controlled by Spanish parent company Iberdrola—as only interested in profit. One speaker called for a return to public ownership of utilities.
Several speakers from the crowd of mostly older individuals said the hearing was held at an inaccessible time for working people, who are among those most impacted by rate increases.
