New Yorkers are currently weathering some of the highest energy rates in the nation. Residential electricity rates in New York are roughly 50% higher than the national average and rose 7.6% in the past year, faster than the national average.
Since the Democratic majorities in the Legislature passed the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA), electricity rates in New York have increased 45% – leading New Yorkers to pay 30-40% higher rates than their neighbors in Pennsylvania.
Feeling pressure from the public as they struggle with high utility bills and in an election year, the governor recently made new proposals that would delay the CLCPA.
However, this effort is insufficient and will not offer enough relief now to New Yorkers or make the state more affordable.
Sen Griffo
While I understand the need to embrace clean energy, the CLCPA, which I did not support and warned about, is full of unaffordable mandates and unrealistic and unreasonable deadlines and timetables that hurt taxpayers, families, business owners, schools and communities.
This problematic and ambitious policy needs to be repealed and a new approach to address New York’s energy needs must be considered.
The state should embrace a diversified energy portfolio and pursue a reasonable, realistic and affordable energy agenda that strengthens, secures and upgrades the grid, provides relief to ratepayers and better reflects the needs and priorities of our communities now.
Recently, I joined with my colleagues in the Senate Republican Conference to unveil a package of legislation aimed at addressing New York’s outrageous energy costs and offsetting the effects of costly energy mandates out of Albany.
The goals of the legislative package are to provide immediate ratepayer relief, increase cost transparency, and repeal costly mandates. It includes:
Immediate Ratepayer Relief
S8461A – Requires any surplus or unspent ratepayer funds remaining in NYSERDA’s Clean Energy Fund or any unspent funds collected by utilities be sent back to ratepayers as a bill credit. This bill would result in lowering New Yorkers’ utility bills by $2 billion at a time when New Yorkers are facing skyrocketing utility bills.
S8463 – Provides a one-year utility bill tax and surcharge holiday and two-year green energy tax holiday. Government taxes and fees account for between 25 to 50% of a customer’s utility bill. This bill would provide meaningful and immediate relief to ratepayers as they face skyrocketing energy costs.
S7075 – Repeals the system benefit charge. The system benefit charge is a fee imposed on all ratepayers that provide money to NYSERDA and the Public Service Commission (PSC). Repealing such fees would lower utility bills.
Cost Transparency
S1031 – Directs the PSC and the Comptroller to determine the cost of the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA) mandates for each ratepayer and to establish a credit for ratepayers and businesses to cover those costs.
S1414 – Enacts the Utility Ratepayer Protection Act, which requires legislative approval of increases in utility charges.
S5515 – Relates to providing transparency to residential utility and municipality ratepayers on the cost impact of the climate action council’s scoping plan.
S5611 – Establishes the Climate Action Cost Council, which must meet quarterly and report on any CLCPA cost associated with any action taken by the Council.
S6412 – Establishes the “Ratepayer Disclosure and Transparency Act,” which requires annual reporting on state mandated energy programs.
S6790 – Requires the superintendent of financial services to examine the Green Bank at least once every calendar year.
S8447 – Requires a fiscal note when a bill enacts or amends a law impacting the cost of utility services.
S8936 – Increases transparency and accountability in utility billing by requiring all electric utility corporations, energy services companies, and municipalities to provide customers with a clear, itemized breakdown of their monthly bills.
Repeal Green Energy Mandates
S1167 – Repeals All Electric Buildings Act.
S3652 – Repeals the Electric Vehicle mandate.
S4748 – Repeals the zero-emission school bus mandate.
S8607 – Repeals the $15 billion per year Cap-and-Invest program that will act as a tax on New York consumers.
S7710 – Prohibits the construction of certain energy storage systems within five hundred feet of a school or dwelling in New York City.
I continue to fight and advocate for essential solutions that will combat rising utility rates. This legislative package provides relief from burdensome energy costs, improves transparency and reduces unreasonable, unrealistic and unaffordable regulations and mandates connected to the state’s energy goals and standards.
