Assemblyman Matt Slater (R,C–Yorktown) was joined on Monday, Sept. 22, at Yorktown Town Hall by regional officials to demand that the New York state Public Service Commission (PSC) hold an in-person public hearing in the Hudson Valley on New York State Electric and Gas’s (NYSEG) proposed 35% delivery revenue increase for electric customers.

Currently, the PSC has only scheduled hearings in Western New York. The first is set for Sept. 30 in Sodus—a 296-mile trip for Hudson Valley residents. The closest hearing is 154 miles away in Oneonta.

“This is wrong, and we are here to once again call on the Public Service Commission to hold an in-person public hearing here in the Brewster Division of the NYSEG territory,” said Slater.

Slater, together with Sen. Rob Rolison, has introduced legislation that would require the PSC to hold in-person hearings whenever utility rate increases are under consideration.

“The Public Service Commission is hiding from ratepayers who are suffering here in the Hudson Valley,” Slater added. “Look someone in the eye and tell them you’re going to increase their bill by 35% a month—I dare you. We deserve our own public hearing. The vast majority of Putnam County residents are NYSEG customers, and cutting out an entire county from this process is unacceptable.”

Slater was joined by Putnam County Executive Kevin Byrne, Town of Kent Supervisor Jaime McGlasson, Somers Town Supervisor Robert Scorrano, Carmel Town Supervisor Mike Cazzari, Yorktown Supervisor Ed Lachterman, Putnam Valley Town Supervisor Jackie Annabi and Yorktown Councilwoman Luciana Haughwout. Together, they announced a formal letter to the PSC requesting an in-person public hearing in the 94th Assembly District.

“Hybrid meetings are being proposed and held, but that’s not good enough for ratepayers—not when you’re looking to increase our bills by more than $30 a month,” Slater said. “New York is facing an affordability crisis. Energy costs are fueling that crisis, and to consider a 35% rate hike without proper public input is wrong and needs to be rectified.”

“As families and small businesses in Putnam County and throughout the Hudson Valley face rising costs, they deserve to have their voices heard when decisions are being made that affect their monthly bills,” said Senator Rob Rolison. “I’m committed to standing up for our rate payers and making sure the Public Service Commission is accountable to the people it serves. We need to strengthen public oversight and ensure our residents always have a seat at the table when their cost of living is on the line.”

“This is not a new challenge—it’s a perennial issue with the utilities and the Public Service Commission. In the past, we’ve had to advocate aggressively for in-person public hearings because we know they are far more effective,” said Putnam County Executive Kevin Byrne. “When you’re proposing a rate increase of nearly 35%, you owe it to the people of New York and the people of the Hudson Valley to provide an in-person, local public hearing. We’ve done it here in Yorktown before. We’ve done it in Putnam County. And we should do it again. I want to thank Assemblyman Slater and Senator Rolison for bringing this issue forward.”

“On behalf of the town of Kent, I would like to express my strong disappointment that the Public Service Commission has failed to arrange an in-person public hearing within NYSEG’s Brewster Division. Our Kent residents have been deeply impacted by NYSEG’s rate hikes and further proposed electric and gas rate increases,” said Town of Kent Supervisor Jaime McGlasson.​ “We urge your agency to promptly schedule an in-person public hearing as our residents deserve a convenient local location to meet face-to-face with commission representatives and NYSEG to discuss important issues.”

Somers Town Supervisor Robert Scorrano said, “It’s unacceptable that the PSC is holding hearings on NYSEG’s rate hikes upstate while ignoring the Hudson Valley. The nearest hearing is in Oneonta—more than 100 miles from Somers. Virtual hearings are no substitute for showing up in our community. And with PSC offices in both Albany and New York City, there’s no excuse for not scheduling a single local hearing. Hudson Valley families are already struggling to keep up with outrageous utility bills, and now the PSC wants to silence them too.”

Putnam Valley Town Supervisor Jacqueline Annabi said, “I want to thank our assemblyman for holding this press conference and our supervisor for hosting. Our veterans, our seniors, our middle-income families can’t afford this increase. When I’m visiting seniors at the Putnam Valley Senior Center, the first thing they say is, ‘What can you do to help me with my bill?’ They have to choose between medications and keeping their power on. That’s not fair. Where can they make this complaint? They don’t have access to the computer. They can’t get up to Western New York. I invite the Public Service Commission to come on down to Putnam County. It’s beautiful here. Let us have a voice too.”

“The bottom line is, this affects everyone, especially our seniors who may not have access to online meetings, who may not look at all the different websites and get all this information. The public’s voices have much more meaning in person, looking someone eye to eye, face to face and having that conversation,” said Yorktown Supervisor Ed Lachterman. “Our seniors are on a fixed income—an extra $30 a month is a big deal. I have people talking about $900 utility bills. How do you survive on a fixed income with that, with a cold winter? It’s abhorrent that this is even being considered but even worse to shut the door and say, ‘We don’t really care what you have to say, we’re not doing anything down there.’ If you want to prove that it’s a Public Service Commission, you need to get down into the Hudson Valley, have these hearings and listen to the people. Thank you, Assemblyman Slater, for leading the charge.”

Carmel Town Supervisor Mike Cazzari said, “We’ve had not just the seniors but pretty much everyone in our community affected by these rate hikes. Transparency—that’s what it’s about. The Public Service Commission has no need to be out only in the West when the largest population of the state is all down here. With our population and with our town halls, we could easily host the Public Service Commission so people’s voices get heard. Letters or Zoom don’t carry the same passion that people here feel when they speak face to face about not being able to pay their electric bill. We need it in person—whether it’s in Carmel, Yorktown, or at the county’s TOPS building. There’s ample room. Thank you, Assemblyman Slater, for bringing attention to the matter.”

Southeast Town Supervisor Nick Durante said, “The PSC not extending these hearings statewide makes it seem like they’re more focused on their own positions than truly standing up for the public. As a public servant, I stand by my residents, the people I vowed to serve. Even if the outcome is predictable, at least take the time to listen to the voices you’re supposed to represent and understand that there’s a need for improvement.”

Patterson Town Supervisor Richard Williams said, “Smart meters were supposed to be a benefit to NYSEG’s customer service, and yet they have only resulted in NYSEG’s customers seeing their electric bills skyrocket. Now, NYSEG is asking for another rate increase from the Public Service Commission. Any new increase will be devastating to many of the residents of the Town of Patterson and, indeed, all of NYSEG’s Brewster Division Service area. The Public Service Commission’s decision not to hold a public hearing in NYSEG’s Brewster Service area suggests that our concerns simply don’t matter.”

“People are frustrated with soaring gas and electric bills and need to be heard. I am proud to join my colleagues in government to call on the PSC to hold an in-person public meeting for our district, to listen to those it affects the most,“ said Mayor James Schoenig. 

[Attached photo: Poster illustrating the distance between the nearest in-person public hearings and the 94th Assembly District]

Editor’s Note: Watch the press conference here.