Letter from Assemblyman Brian Miller

Extension Needed for Plan Comments

New York State’s draft energy plan once again leaves rural upstate families and businesses behind. Families in my district are already struggling under failed and costly energy policies, and now they are being asked to shoulder even higher costs under a plan that is unrealistic, unreliable and extreme.

The draft plan makes it nearly impossible for residents in the Mohawk Valley and Central New York to have their voices heard. The State Energy Planning Board hosted seven in-person hearings. The closest hearings for my constituents to attend were scheduled in Albany and Rochester, forcing many of them to participate virtually.

That is not good enough for a plan that will impact every single New Yorker. Our communities deserve more accessible in-person hearings and a 90-day extension on the public comment period to ensure they get a fair chance for their concerns to be heard.

This plan also gives utilities cover to raise rates even further, on top of rate hikes already approved by the Public Service Commission. Families and small businesses in my district use a mix of electricity, natural gas, propane, wood, and oil, and they should be free to choose the energy sources that work best for them.

An affordable, reliable and realistic energy plan is possible, but only if state leaders listen to the voices of everyday New Yorkers, not push an extreme agenda that sidelines rural communities.

More information about the draft energy plan and public hearings can be found here: https://energyplan.ny.gov/Get-Involved/Hearings.

Assemblyman Brian Miller
(R, C-New Hartford)
122nd Assembly District