Upstate utility proposes rate increases

BINGHAMTON--New York State Electric & Gas (NYSEG) and Rochester Gas and Electric (RG&E), subsidiaries of AVANGRID, Inc., announced the companies have filed proposed changes to delivery rates with the New York State Public Service Commission (NYSPSC). The plans, titled "Reliable Energy New York: Investing in Our Future," outline a proposal for each company that includes infrastructure investments, customer support, energy efficiency programs and investments to enable renewable energy, as well as economic development proposals.
"Reliable Energy NY" proposes a rate structure that would add $10-18 to the average electric or gas residential customer's monthly delivery costs, or a 13 to 22 percent increase on each total bill. New delivery rates are proposed to go into effect May 1, 2023.
Under the public service law, the rates proposed are for a one-year period and will not immediately go into effect upon filing; the filing starts an 11-month process. This includes a review of the filings by the department of public service and other interested parties, questions to the utilities and, as appropriate, testimony.
Gov. Kathy Hochul issued the following statement about the announcement, "It's 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. The Department of Public Service is legally required to review all proposed rate increases, and I urge them to scrutinize every number and word of this proposal to protect New York families from unjustified and unfair rate increases. At a time when so many families are struggling because of global economic headwinds and nationwide inflation, I will keep fighting to get money back in the pockets of New Yorkers by accelerating middle class tax cuts, giving consumers a gas tax holiday that begins next week, and providing rent and utility relief to hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers."
In addition to the rate changes, NYSEG explained some of the additional aspects of the "Reliable Energy NY" plan:
• Reliability and resilience: includes upgrades to critical infrastructure like substations to limit the impacts of increased flooding, installing more than 10,000 new, stronger poles a year and tree wire that can withstand more intense and more frequent storms, increased and smart tree trimming driven by data and analytics.
• More customer resources including increased automated options: This includes more employees in the call centers, assisting disadvantaged communities and low-to-moderate income customers through focused energy efficiency program offerings, such as the ongoing collaboration and support of NYSERDA's Empower Program. They will also provide ongoing referrals to low-income billing assistance programs.
• Investments in smart technology including more grid automation tools: This will reduce outage impacts and manage outages remotely - these investments will mean that when outages do occur, they will be identified earlier and power can be restored faster and fewer customers will be affected. The plans also propose the development of an e-portal for municipalities to check on the status of service interruptions, impacts on critical facilities and restoration status, and investing in an automated customer communications system to ensure contact with customers who use life support equipment (LSE) during storms.
• Enabling clean energy: Will allow additional connections with wind and solar. The plans also propose procuring 11MW of company-owned battery storage and another 70MW of company-owned solar for low-income customers, supporting adoption of the Heat Pump Make-Ready program, and expanding EV infrastructure by 700 percent to support New York's mandate of over 161,000 EVs in service territories by 2025.
NYSEG was established in 1852 and operates approximately 35,000 miles of electric distribution lines and 4,500 miles of electric transmission lines across more than 40 percent of upstate New York. It also operates more than 8,150 miles of natural gas distribution pipelines and 20 miles of gas transmission pipelines. It serves approximately 894,000 electricity customers and 266,000 natural gas customers.