ALBANY: On March 11, Senator Schumer and Governor Hochul released a letter to the Public Service Commission (PSC) and The New York Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) demanding accountability and transparency regarding the tariff war brewing at the Federal Level that would have led to a 25% Canadian surcharge on electricity imported into the United States. They pointed out that this will drive up utility costs, disrupt energy markets, and create financial uncertainty for families and businesses. As part of their suggested actions, they specifically request the following:
1-A clear evaluation of the impact on ratepayers and businesses, including the expected price increases and affordability concerns.
2-An examination of the feasibility of adding a one line “Trump Tariff” cost indicator on utility bills, ensuring New Yorkers can see exactly how much this federal policy is costing them each month.
While the threat of these tariffs has temporarily abated, it does not reduce the urgent need for New York policy makers to provide full cost transparency to ratepayers.
New York State policy decisions have imposed multiple fees and taxes on consumer energy bills. These include but are not limited to: the systems benefit charge (SBC) the renewable portfolio standard (RPS), Renewable Energy Credits (REC), Zero Emission Credits (ZEC), the 18-a assessment and the Energy Efficiency Portfolio Standard. Added on top of all of these taxes are the costs of mandates included in the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA) as well as the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) This is just to name a few.
Currently NONE of these costs are lined out and labeled as state-imposed taxes and fees on a consumer utility bill. The Governor and the majorities in the Senate and Assembly have REFUSED all requests to perform a cost-benefit analysis of CLCPA mandates, inclusive of the real impact on ratepayers.
Further, if NYS hadn’t denied pipeline projects and the 100s of jobs/tax revenue that would have come with them, our state wouldn’t be so dependent on foreign energy supplies. There is abundant, clean & affordable domestic energy that NYS has denied NYS residents through their misguided energy policy since the inception of CLCPA and pipeline denials.
We call on Governor Hochul to apply the same standards to herself and her administration as she is applying to the Federal Administration in Washington. Legislation is pending in the Assembly and the Senate that would require ALL of these taxes and fees to be lined out and reported to consumers. We would fully support adding Federal tariff impacts to the list.
Consumers have an absolute right to know how much government policies are costing themselves and their families. Elected officials like Governor Hochul need to stop hiding behind the PSC and NYSERDA and blaming utility companies and instead provide a full and transparent account of these costs.
At the same time, we call on the Legislature to stop making this existing problem worse, by advancing bills like the NY HEAT Act, which will only raise costs further while muddying the water in terms of bill transparency.
Failure to do so makes calls for Federal tariff transparency and corresponding consumer cost analysis nothing more than a cynical political ploy.
We urge Governor Hochul to support our call for true transparency and order the PSC to make it happen immediately.
