Hudson Valley residents are already paying some of the highest utility bills in New York state. Now, utility providers are proposing even more increases. With residents struggling to keep up with the cost of living, Assemblyman Matt Slater (R,C-Yorktown) is calling on the New York State Public Service Commission (PSC) to reject new rate hikes proposed by New York State Electric and Gas (NYSEG).

“Maintaining a resilient energy grid is important, but that’s not where these added costs are going,” said Slater. “What’s worse is the way they’re being added—quietly and without clarity. The compounding costs baked into our utility bills are making basic electric service unaffordable for far too many New Yorkers.”

In his letter to the PSC, Slater outlines how NYSEG’s proposed increases reflect a troubling trend: rate hikes justified not just by infrastructure needs, but also by state mandates, pandemic-era debt recovery and hidden surcharges that most ratepayers never agreed to and don’t understand.

According to the proposal, NYSEG’s cost drivers include:

• $67 million in new costs directly tied to compliance with the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act;
• $47.6 million in arrears recovery for unpaid utility bills accumulated since the pandemic, which rewards poor financial management and punishes responsible ratepayers; and
• $38.5 million annually in regulatory fees and state assessments, often buried within delivery charges and obscured from consumers.

“These are energy taxes by another name,” said Slater. “They’re being collected through utility bills without sufficient legislative or regulatory oversight. New Yorkers deserve to know exactly what they’re paying for.”

To that end, Slater is also urging the PSC to support Assembly Bill A.8414, which would require utilities to provide fully transparent billing that breaks down all cost components, including delivery, supply, surcharges and public benefit charges, so consumers can clearly understand what they’re being charged.

In his letter, Slater calls on the PSC to:

1. Reject the full scope of NYSEG’s proposed increases;
2. End the egregious practice of arrears recovery through rate cases;
3. Mandate transparent billing practices that clearly itemize all cost categories; and
4. Develop a long-term affordability and reliability plan that balances clean energy goals with economic reality for working families.

“The Hudson Valley cannot afford to bear unchecked costs of mandates, arrears recovery and hidden taxes without a full and honest accounting,” said Slater. “It’s clear our current course is unsustainable and unfair. I will continue to fight for the protection of both the grid and the ratepayer.”

Read Assemblyman Slater’s full letter to the PSC here.

Watch Slater’s video on the topic here.