AP
UTICA, N.Y. — Oneida County Executive Anthony Picente is calling on Gov. Kathy Hochul to take immediate steps to address what he describes as skyrocketing utility costs that are putting local families, seniors and small businesses under severe financial strain.
In a letter dated Feb. 5, Picente told Hochul that winter electricity bills are now two to three times higher for many households than in recent years, a situation he attributes to the State’s current energy policies.
Picente said the surge in costs is forcing families to choose between paying for basic needs like food and medicine and covering their utility bills.
He also said the rapid push for electrification has outpaced the State’s infrastructure and affordability protections, leaving residents to “pay the price, literally, for a system that is not yet equipped to handle the demands being placed on it.”
He urged Hochul to use more than $2 billion in State funds, including $1 billion collected through a system benefit charge, to provide immediate relief.
“Only 40 percent of electricity bills are the power itself. The remaining cost is due to delivery and State mandated charges. That paints a very clear picture. You, and you alone, can bring instant relief if you would take immediate and decisive action,” he said.
Picente called for deploying $1.6 billion in NYSERDA system benefit charge funds to help middle-income families and seniors, raising income eligibility for Emergency HEAP assistance, authorizing a second Emergency HEAP benefit, and directing the Public Service Commission to reconsider recent National Grid rate hikes.
The full letter is below.
Oneida County Executive Anthony Picente is calling on Gov. Kathy Hochul to take immediate steps to address what he describes as skyrocketing utility costs that are putting local families, seniors and small businesses under severe financial strain.