AGREE and other advocates win major concessions from energy utility 

View this email in your browser ([link removed])


** We're excited to announce a major turning point in the fight to phase out fracked gas in New York!
------------------------------------------------------------
Central Hudson, a utility with about 309,000 electric and 84,000 gas customers, is the
first utility in New York to agree to reduce their gas sales!

This hard-fought victory was achieved through months of pressure and negotiations with Central Hudson in their most recent rate case. Rate cases are one of the few ways that New Yorkers can advocate for better utility service, fight back against rate hikes that only benefit utility shareholders and executives, and oppose specific investments in the utility gas system.

Based on an agreement reached in that case, the utility will use a combination of energy efficiency and renewable heating technologies over the next four years to achieve a 2.5% net decrease from 2019 levels in the amount of gas it sells to customers. The company will also stop promoting oil to gas conversions on its website and remove claims that gas is more environmentally friendly than oil. This agreement with Central Hudson shows that gas utilities can and should begin decreasing gas sales and transitioning their business models away from fossil fuels.

We at AGREE are particularly proud of this victory. We have gone toe-to-toe with utilities to fight gas expansion and reduce gas sales in almost every single rate case in New York since 2017. Four years ago, the reduction of a gas utility’s sales was an idea the utilities and state regulators would not even entertain.

In addition, AGREE worked alongside a number of other parties to extract several other concessions. Thanks to our combined advocacy with groups such as Citizens for Local Power ([link removed]) and the Public Utility Law Project ([link removed]) , the rate hike was reduced from an initial proposal of almost 3% per year to under 2% per year. In fact, electric rates will go down in the first year. Central Hudson also agreed to translate its website and bills into Spanish. The agreement also provides a process by which we and other advocates will meet with the utility to try to resolve outstanding customer debt if the state fails to act on the utility debt crisis before winter. See this press release ([link removed]) for more information.


** Of course, the fight is not over.
------------------------------------------------------------
This is just one small utility. Other larger utilities, like National Grid ([link removed]) , have continued to increase gas sales and expand gas infrastructure. Going forward, we will need deeper cuts in fracked gas sales to meet the legally mandated greenhouse gas reduction goals of New York. Gas utilities are responsible for two-thirds of the fracked gas used in New York. They deliver this gas to homes and businesses for heating, cooking, hot water, clothes drying, and industrial processes. We will keep fighting with all of our allies across the state to win and implement a real plan to get gas out of buildings in New York and provide every home and business with affordable renewable alternatives. Stay tuned!
[link removed] Share ([link removed])
[link removed]: https%3A%2F%2Fmailchi.mp%2Fallianceforagreeneconomy%2Fcentral-hudson-commits-to-reducing-gas-sales Tweet ([link removed]: https%3A%2F%2Fmailchi.mp%2Fallianceforagreeneconomy%2Fcentral-hudson-commits-to-reducing-gas-sales)
[link removed] Forward ([link removed])

============================================================
Alliance for a Green Economy is a grassroots operation, working on a shoestring budget to pull off ambitious work. Every dollar we receive is used for public education, coalition building, and advocacy toward a 100% renewable energy system in New York State.
No donation is too small to make a difference.
** Donate ([link removed])
Copyright © 2017 Alliance for a Green Economy, All rights reserved.
You are receiving this email because you signed up for our mailing list or signed one of our petitions and wanted to stay updated on our campaigns.

Our mailing address is:
Alliance for a Green Economy
2013 E Genesee St, Suite 2
Syracuse, NY 13210 United States
** Add us to your address book ([link removed])

Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can ** update your preferences ([link removed])
or ** unsubscribe from this list ([link removed])
.

** Twitter ([link removed])
** Facebook ([link removed])
** Website ([link removed])