Public Statement Hearings for the RG&E/NYSEG Rate Case are Here!
Tell the Utilities and the Public Service Commission that We Demand an Affordable, Equitable Clean Energy Future!
In May of 2022, NYSEG/RG&E filed their utility rate case. Once again, the Accelerator is intervening to ensure the Companies maintain their commitments from the 2019 case and push them to take further action to protect the climate and reduce energy burdens. You can find the entire rate case filing here.
Governor Hochul called the rate hike request “outrageous and unacceptable that utility companies are proposing the largest rate increase in recent history for more than 1.2 million consumers in Upstate New York.”
Tell NYSEG/RG&E and the Public Service Commission to ACT NOW to protect the climate and reduce local energy burdens!
Proposed Return on Equity: 10.2%
Note: Rate cases pertain only to the delivery portion of your bill.
Public Statement Hearings:
The Commission will be holding virtual public statement hearings. You must pre-register to make a statement. To do so visit www.webex.com by 4:30 p.m. on the day before the hearing. From the Webex homepage, registrants should click “Join” at the top right-hand corner of the screen, enter the appropriate event number and provide all requested information. To register by phone, call 1-800-342-3330 and follow the prompts.
10.18.22 at 5p
Event Number: 2346 895 0569
Password: Oct18-5pm
Phone Access: 518-549-0500 Access Code: 2346 895 0569
Note that we are petitioning the Commission to also hold in-person hearings in Rochester & Ithaca. If granted, we will alert you of the time and location.
To submit written comments, visit the following pages and click the “Post Comments” tab.
For NYSEG Electric & NYSEG Gas
For RG&E Electric & RG&E Gas
Typically, you will have 3 minutes to make your comment.
The most effective comments are the ones that put a human face to the decisions under consideration. So, tell YOUR story and experiences with utility bills &/or your opinion about our energy future.
Sample sentence starters could be: “When I receive my utility bill, I feel… “ or “I think that NY residents deserve a future that includes…”
Below are some potential talking points to get you started:
Say “No” to:
✓ Excessive rate hikes that will worsen already existing energy burdens
NYS has defined a reasonable energy burden as 6% of one’s household expenses. According to ACEEE 37% of Rochester residents and 44% of Black and Latino Rochester residents pay between 10-25% of their income for energy. The proposed rate hikes will make matters worse - and impose a disproportionate burden on our most vulnerable community members.
✓ Increasing shareholder profits while people are left in the dark and the cold.
Energy is a human right and will become increasingly important as our summers are hotter and winters colder due to climate change.
✓ Spending close to $1 BILLION (plus interest) on gas infrastructure over the next 5 years
(for both utilities). These pipelines will be retired before they’re paid off, leaving us
with the bill.
✓Adding Hydrogen to the gas supply.
Doing so will prolong our reliance on fossil fuel infrastructure, cause pipes to become brittle, require higher pressures to push the gas through the pipes - risking more methane leakage, and will result in increased smog when burned. We should be focusing our efforts on weatherization, energy efficiency and heat pumps.
✓ Spending ratepayer dollars on rebates for gas appliances and marketing for gas products
Demand the Utilities:
✓ Reduce gas sales and greenhouse gas emissions in compliance with New York’s climate law and use the CLCPA mandated method for accounting for methane emissions.
✓Make renewable heating affordable to everyone
Increase rebates for heat pump technologies, particularly for low-to-moderate income household
Make these rebates point of sale, so that it’s cheaper to get the technology we need
Provide weatherization & clean heating & cooling improvements with options to pay back over time through our energy bills
Install district geothermal energy projects to make renewable heating available to all utility customers
✓ Ease the process of connecting renewable energy to the grid
Coordinate with renewable energy suppliers to provide more timely and understandable billing.
Applaud the Utilities for:
✓ Electric heat make-ready funding to upgrade electric panels to enable heat-pump installations.
✓ District geothermal energy project in Ithaca
✓ EV fast-charging hub in NYSEG territory
✓ Initial efforts to make EV charging more accessible for low-to-moderate income households