Kingston Hearing on Central Hudson Rate Case

Start: Wednesday, October 18, 2023• 6:00 PM

Register with our office to speak at the Kingston in-person hearing on the Central Hudson rate case. This hearing is being held by the Public Service Commission (PSC) and requires no RSVP, but by signing up with us, you'll get reminders, tips, and an opportunity to chat with other ratepayers who have signed up as well. Included below are the details from the PSC:

“Those wishing to comment on any aspect of these proceedings will have the opportunity to make a statement on the record before the ALJs (Administrative Law Judges). It is not necessary to make an appointment in advance, or present written material to speak at a hearing. Persons will be called to speak after completing a request card. Each public statement hearing will be held open a minimum of thirty minutes and will be kept open until everyone wishing to speak has been heard or other reasonable arrangements have been made to include their comments in the record. A verbatim transcript of each public statement hearing will be made for inclusion in the record of these proceedings.

Persons with disabilities requiring special accommodations should call the Department of Public Service’s Human Resource Management Office at (518)474-2520 as soon as possible. TDD users may request a sign language interpreter by placing a call through the New York Relay Service at 711. Individuals with difficulty understanding or reading English are encouraged to call the Department at (800)342-3377 for free language assistance services regarding this Notice.”


About the rate case

Central Hudson is proposing to increase electric bills by 16.4% and gas bills by 19%. This would amount to an average increase of $30.12 per month for electric bills and $30.13 per month for gas bills. The request has triggered a “Rate Case” with the New York Public Service Commission (PSC), the state department that is responsible for regulating Central Hudson and their rates. Along with raising our rates, Central Hudson is trying to secure a 9.8% return on equity, meaning tens of millions of dollars more profit than they get currently.

GUIDELINES

Points you can make in your comment:

  • Affordability: Current Central Hudson gas and electricity rates are already unaffordable. The Public Service Commission (PSC) should only approve a plan that lowers current gas and electric rates. In your testimony, you can explain how the unaffordable rates affect you and your household.
  • Transparency & democracy: We don’t get enough notice when there are requests for increases in rates, and the public is not given enough of a say in what utilities should spend our money on. Energy is a critical part of our lives and a basic need, and therefore our energy system must be democratic.
  • Climate action: This proposal does too little to address a climate crisis that is already at our doorsteps. In Central Hudson’s justifications for a 19% average gas bill increase, the biggest driver, at 34%, is building out gas infrastructure. Regulators should not allow the company to spend so much money on new fossil fuel infrastructure that will become obsolete and stranded assets under the state’s climate law. We demand that the Department of Public Service (DPS) uphold the goals of the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA) in making its decisions. If we don't fully transition to renewable energy as set by the state law, not only will we see severe disruptions from climate change, but ratepayers will also be stuck with volatile fossil fuel prices for longer.
  • Billing Issues: In Central Hudson’s filing they claim that they completed “Customer information System stabilization and transition,” but many of my neighbors are still facing billing issues. After years of people having thousands of dollars incorrectly drained from their bank accounts, we should be seeing a rate decrease, not an increase. With everything customers have gone through these past few years, Central Hudson and the company that owns them shouldn’t be guaranteed any profit. In a competitive market, Central Hudson would have gone bankrupt—the least the regulators should do is to reduce Central Hudson’s profits to $0.